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SPORTS |B1MONTVERDE ACADEMY BOYS WILL PLAY FOR NATIONAL TITLE SCENE | C1ON TAP THIS WEEKENDSt. PattyÂs Day events and Lee Greenwood highlight busy weekend in Lake and Sumter LOCAL & STATE | A3Q & A WITH NEW CIRCUIT JUDGE LARRY METZ Opinion ...................... A9 Weather .................... A10 Sports......................... B1 Scene .......................... C1 Comics ...................... C4 Diversions ................... C5 Volume 142, Issue 74 2018 GateHouse Media Home delivery: 352-787-0600 @dailycommercial Facebook.com./daily.commercial YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR LAKE & SUMTER COUNTIES Thursday, March 15, 2018 $.75 By Collin BinkleyAssociated PressDeclaring enough is enough, tens of thousands of young people from Maine to California walked out of school to demand action on gun vio-lence Wednesday in one of the biggest student protests since the Vietnam era.Braving snow in New England and threats of school discipline in places like Georgia and Ohio, they carried signs with messages like ÂAm I Next?,ÂŽ chanted slogans against the National Rifle Association and bowed their heads in memory of the 17 dead in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.ÂWeÂre sick of it,ÂŽ said Maxwell Nardi, a senior at Douglas S. Freeman High School in Henrico, Virginia, just outside Richmond. ÂWeÂre going to keep fighting, and weÂre not going to stop until Congress finally makes resolute changes.ÂŽAround the nation, students left class at 10 a.m. local time for at least 17 minutes Â„ one minute for each of the dead in Florida. At some schools, students didnÂt go outside but lined the hallways, gathered in gyms and auditoriums or wore orange, the color used by the movement against gun violence, or maroon, the school color at Stoneman Douglas.Over and over, students declared that too many young people have died and that they are tired of going to school afraid of getting killed.ÂEnough is enough. People US students stage walkouts Leesburg High School students honored the 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas during a walkout on Wednesday in Leesburg. [WHITNEY LEHNECKER/DAILY COMMERCIAL] By Frank Stanfield frankstanfield@dailycommercial. comLEESBURG Â„ More details are beginning to emerge in the hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of a man at a chaotic after-hours event at Lake Square Mall on Friday. Police are still looking for the driver of the 2018 Chevy pickup who ran away after the crash in the early morn-ing hours in the parking lot of ViaEntertainment, which is the entertainment com-plex behind the mall.However, a picture is beginning to form, accord-ing to Lt. Joe Iozzi.The driver, apparently in Âan ill-conceived idea,ÂŽ decided to put the truck in More details emerge in fatal hit-and-runStudents hold up signs during a rally asking for gun control outside of the U.S. Capitol building on Wednesday in Washington. [JOSE LUIS MAGANA/AP] Thousands of young people demand action on gun violence Police still looking for driver of 2018 Chevy pickup who ed the Leesburg crash sceneBy Carlos E. Medina and Roxanne Brown cmedina@dailycommercial.com roxanne.brown@ dailycommercial.comLEESBURG Â„ Hundreds of students across Lake County on Wednesday marked the one-month anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that left 17 people dead and shocked the nation.The nationwide effort was cast as a protest of gun violence by students, but at Leesburg High School, the focus was more on honoring those who died in the Broward County incident.Students poured out of their classes and stood around a pond on the school grounds. At 10 a.m. they fell silent. Every minute until 10:17 a.m., a student read the name of one of the victims aloud, followed by a single peal of the school's main bell.Art students made indi-vidual banners for each of those killed and decorated them with images representing their interests or REMEMBERING THE LOSTBy Robert BarrThe Associated PressLONDON Â„ Stephen Hawking, whose brilliant mind ranged across time and space though his body was paralyzed by disease, has died, a family spokesman said early Wednesday.ÂHe was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years,ÂŽ his children Lucy, Robert and Tim said in a statement.The best-known theoretical physicist of his time, Hawking wrote so lucidly of the mys-teries of space, time and black holes that his book, ÂA Brief History of Time,ÂŽ became an Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking dead at 76 Lake County students honor victims, survivors of Parkland school shooting See WALKOUTS, A8 See HONOR, A6 See HAWKING, A6 See CRASH, A8

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A2 Thursday, March 15, 2018 | DailyCommercial.com NATION & WORLDPUBLISHER Steve Skaggs: steve.skaggs@dailycommercial.com ......................352-365-8213 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tom McNiff: tom.mcniff@dailycommercial.com ............................352-365-8250 DIGITAL EDITOR, LIFESTYLES EDITOR Whitney Lehnecker: whitney.lehnecker@dailycommercial.com ....352-365-8258 SPORTS EDITOR Paul Jenkins: paul.jenkins@dailycommercial.com ..........................352-365-8204 SPORTS WRITER Frank Jolley: frank.jolley@dailycommet.com..................................352-365-8268 REPORTER Frank StanÂ“ eld: frank.standÂ“ eld@dailycommercial.com ...............352-374-8257 REPORTER Roxanne Brown: roxanne.brown@dailycommercial.com ................352-365-8266 YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCE FOR LAKE AND SUMTER COUNTIESPrint delivery available within the newspaper distribution area only. By submitting your address and/or email, you understand that you may receive promotional offers from Gatehouse Media and its related companies. You may unsubscribe from receiving any such offers at any ti me by calling 352-787-0600. The advertised price does not include the charges for any premium editions. Premium editions are published to p rovide additional information and value to our readers. You agree that you will be charged up to an additional $5.00 for each premium edition pub lished and delivered to you during your subscription period, in addition to the cost of your subscription. The length of your subscription will be s hortened by the publication of premium editions if those premium editions are delivered to you during your subscription. You may elect to be billed se parately for premium editions by contacting Customer Service at 1-352-787-0600. Thus, unless you elect to be billed separately up to an additional $ 3.00 for each premium edition, you agree that the length of your subscription will be shortened in proportion to the value of the number of premium e ditions published and delivered to you during your subscription period. As an illustrative example, if you select a subscription of up to 12 week s at a cost of $48.00, and two premium editions at $2.00 each are published and delivered to you during that subscription period, your subscription wi ll be shortened by 1 week because the weekly cost of the subscription is $4.00 per week and the premium edition charges total $4.00. Depending upo n the length of your subscription and the timing of the publication and delivery of premium editions, you will not be charged for any premium e ditions if none are published and delivered to you during your subscription. As such, in that case only, the length of your subscription will not b e shortened. The timing of the publication and delivery of premium editions is variable. There will be no more than 1 premium edition published each mo nth during the subscription term. Visit Dailycommercial.com for examples of premium editions. For more info or to cancel your subscription ple ase call 352-787-0600.The Daily Commercial (ISSN 0896-1042) is published daily for $178.47 per year (plus Florida sales tax) by GateHouse Media at 21 2 East Main Street, Leesburg, Florida. Periodicals postage is paid at the USPO, Leesburg, FL. POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to the Daily Commercial, P.O. Box 490007, Leesburg, FL 34749-0007. All material contained in this edit ion is property of the Daily Commercial and is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Reproduction is forbidden without written consent from the publisher. MISSED YOUR NEWSPAPER?: Call 352-787-0600 in Lake County or 877-702-0600 in Sumter County from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Call from 7 a. m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday and from 7 to 10 a.m. on Sunday. If youÂre going on vacation, call circulation 48 hours ahead to stop service. ANNOUNCEMENTS, CALENDAR, GAME RESULTS: Email upcoming events, along with news about awards and personal or professional milestones Â„ with a photo, if you desire Â„ to news@dailycommercial.com. Schools or coaches can report game results after 6 p.m. by calling 352-365-8268 or 352-365-8204. Submissions also can be emailed to sports@dailycommercial.com. OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY: The Daily Commercial promptly corrects errors of fact appearing in its pages. If you believe we have made an error, call the n ews department at 352-365-8250. Retail Advertising .........................................................352-314-3278 ClassiÂ“ ed Advertising ...................................................352-314-3278 Lake Circulation............................................................352-787-0600 Sumter Circulation .......................................................877-702-0600 Billing ...........................................................................352-787-0600 Accounting ...................................................................352-365-8212 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home delivery (Daily/Sunday) 3 months: 41.70 ....................Tax: 2.92 ..........................Total: 44.62 6 months: 88.40 ....................Tax: 5.84 ..........................Total: 89.24 1 year: 166.80 .......................Tax: 11.68 ........................Total: 178.47 FOR HOME DELIVERY: Call 352-787-0600 (Lake) or 877-702-0600 (Sumter) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Prepayments for 3 months or more, mail to: Circulation Dept., the Daily Commercial, P.O. Box 490007, Leesburg, FL 34749-0007. Billed monthly at the rates shown. LOTTERY Tuesday, March 13 Mega Millions: 6-30-58-6061-17 x5 Lucky Money: 14-19-28-29-5 Fantasy 5: 17-20-32-35-36 Wednesday, March 14 Pick 5 Afternoon: 4-6-5-0-8 Pick 4 Afternoon: 8-6-1-5 Pick 3 Afternoon: 4-4-7 Pick 2 Afternoon: 4-6By Jill Lawless and Danica KirkaThe Associated PressLONDON Â„ Relations between Britain and Russia plunged Wednesday to a chilly level not seen since the Cold War as Prime Minister Theresa May expelled 23 diplomats, severed high-level contacts and vowed both open and covert action against Kremlin meddling after the poisoning of a former spy.Russia said it would respond soon to what it called BritainÂs ÂcrudeÂŽ and ÂhostileÂŽ actions.While May pledged to disrupt Russian espionage and Âhostile state activity,ÂŽ she gave few details about how hard Britain would hit Russian politicians and oligarchs where it really hurts Â„ in their wallets.ÂExpelling diplomats is a kind of a standard response,ÂŽ said Natasha Kuhrt, a Russia expert at KingÂs College London. ÂIÂm not sure itÂs going to make Moscow stand up and think.ÂŽMay told the House of Commons that 23 Russians diplomats who have been identified as undeclared intelligence officers have a week to leave Britain.ÂThis will be the single big-gest expulsion for over 30 years,ÂŽ May said, adding that it would Âfundamentally degrade Russian intelligence capability in the U.K. for years to come.ÂŽMay spoke after Moscow ignored a midnight deadline to explain how the nerve agent Novichok, developed by the Soviet Union, was used against Sergei Skripal, an ex-Russian agent convicted of spying for Britain, and his daughter Yulia. They remain in critical condi-tion in a hospital in Salisbury, southwestern England, after being found unconscious March 4.May said Âthere is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable for the attempted murder of Mr. Skripal and his daughter.ÂŽShe announced a range of economic and diplomatic mea-sures, including the suspension of high-level contacts with Russia. An invitation for Rus-sian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to visit Britain has been canceled, and British ministers and royals wonÂt attend the soccer World Cup in Russia this summer.May also said Britain would clamp down on murky Rus-sian money and strengthen its powers to impose sanctions on abusers of human rights, though she gave few details.ÂWe will freeze Russian state assets wherever we have the evidence that they may be used to threaten the life or property of U.K. nationals or residents,ÂŽ May said, promising to use all legal powers against crimi-nals and corrupt elites, and to Âincrease checks on private flights, customs and freight.ÂŽÂThere is no place for these people Â„ or their money Â„ in our country,ÂŽ she said.May said some of the measures Âcannot be shared publicly for reasons of national security.ÂŽThe Russian Embassy in London said the expulsion of diplomats was Âtotally unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted.ÂŽ Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko called BritainÂs actions Âa provocation.ÂŽRussia did not immediately announce retaliatory mea-sures, but its Foreign Ministry said Âour response will not be long in coming.ÂŽIt said BritainÂs Âhostile measuresÂŽ were Âan unprec-edentedly crude provocation.ÂŽSome Russia experts said the measures announced by May were unlikely to make Russian President Vladimir PutinÂs government change its behav-ior. She didnÂt expel RussiaÂs ambassador or announce sanc-tions against any individuals or companies.Critics of the British government have long claimed that the U.K. is reluctant to act against Russia because LondonÂs property market and financial sector are magnets for billions in Russian money.ÂThere does not seem to be any real appetite so far to investigate the ill-gotten gains of the Russian elite that have been laundered through London,ÂŽ said John Lough, an associate fellow in the Eurasia program at the Chatham House think-tank. ÂIt is not clear to me that LondonÂs response will hit the Kremlin where it hurts.ÂŽMoscow has denied respon-sibility for SkripalÂs poisoning. It refused to comply with BritainÂs demand for an explanation, saying the U.K. must first provide samples of the poison collected by investigators.Some in Russia have suggested that the nerve agent could have come from another former Soviet country.Lawmaker Vladimir Gutenev, a member of RussiaÂs state commission for chemical disarmament, said Russia had scrapped its stockpile of Novichok.ÂIt is hard to say what may be happening in neighboring countries,ÂŽ he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.Britain is seeking support from allies in the European Union and NATO in response to the use of an illegal chemical weapon on British soil. MayÂs office said President Donald Trump told the prime minister the U.S. was Âwith the U.K. all the way.ÂŽBut Britain faces an uphill battle in rallying international backing for any new measures against Moscow.European Council President Donald Tusk said he would put the attack on the agenda at an EU summit meeting next week.The U.N. Security Council Â„ of which Russia is a vetowielding member Â„ was due to meet later Wednesday at BritainÂs request to discuss the investigation.At U.N. headquarters, deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was not in a position to attribute responsibility for the attack, but Âhe strongly condemns the use of any nerve agent or chemical weapons and hopes that the incident will be thoroughly investigated.ÂŽNATO promised to help investigate what it called Âthe first offensive use of a nerve agentÂŽ in Europe or North America since the military alli-ance was founded in 1949.But itÂs unclear what, if anything, NATO can do to put more pressure on Russia. Rela-tions between the old Cold War foes are already poor and short of military action the alliance has little leverage. Britain boots 23 Russian diplomats over spy poisoningA man works to untangle the national Â” ag Â” own from the Russian Embassy, after it became entangled on its staff at the embassy in London, Wednesday. Britain announced Wednesday it will expel 23 Russian diplomats, the biggest such expulsion since the Cold War, and break off high-level contacts with the Kremlin over the nerve-agent attack on a former spy and his daughter in an English town.[AP PHOTO/ ALASTAIR GRANT] By Lisa MascaroAP Congressional CorrespondentWASHINGTON Â„ Back in 2017, the Senate gave quick confirmation to President Donald TrumpÂs national security team and his first secretary of state. But itÂs not likely to go as smoothly for TrumpÂs new nominees to run State and the CIA. Senate Democrats Â„ and some top Republicans Â„ are slow-walking the process amid fresh questions over the Trump administra-tionÂs stance toward Russia and revived inquiries into the CIAÂs dark history of torture.ÂThere are a lot of unan-swered questions,ÂŽ said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.On Wednesday, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced he would oppose both nominees Â„ Mike Pompeo for State and Gina Haspel for CIA Â„ over their views on waterboard-ing Â„ which he said Âsends a terrible message to the worldÂŽ Â„ as well as his concerns that Pompeo will advocate for regime change in Iran that could lead to military action.ÂI want to do everything I can to block them,ÂŽ Paul said. ÂThis is a debate thatÂs really worth having.ÂŽThe presidentÂs firing of Secretary of State Rex Til-lerson touched off a Senate confirmation battle that will play out this spring ahead of midterm elections when control of Congress hangs in balance.By tapping Pompeo to replace Tillerson, the White House is counting on a repeat of Senate support for the former Kansas con-gressman confirmed last year to lead the clandestine agency.But the political ground has shifted since the 66-32 vote to confirm Pompeo in January 2017 when the GOP-led Congress was eager to put the new presi-dentÂs team in place and Democrats were unwilling to stand in the way. More than a dozen Democrats joined all but one Republican in backing him. Paul was opposed.In the year since, Pompeo has drawn scrutiny for actions and statements showcasing his loyalty to Trump and his approach toward Russia.Last month, PompeoÂs meeting with two top Rus-sian spy chiefs drew a chain of questions from Schumer in part because it occurred days before the Trump administration initially decided not to issue new sanctions over Russian interference in the election.Pompeo also made head-lines for meeting with a former intelligence official who has floated the theory that Democratic National CommitteeÂs email hack was an inside job rather than Russian interference in the 2016 election as U.S. officials have largely concluded. That meeting was first reported by The Intercept.During one speech Pompeo claimed Russian meddling did not alter the election results, a finding that overstates the U.S. assessment of the interference.ÂI think heÂs going to have a tough time here,ÂŽ said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. ÂIf heÂs being hired simply to more efficiently destroy the State Department, I think it would be hard to get Demo-cratic votes.ÂŽAt the same time, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., made it clear he had plenty of questions for TrumpÂs choice of Haspel to head the CIA over the Ânature and extentÂŽ of her involvement in the agencyÂs waterboard-ing of terror suspects. Senate con rmation ghts ahead on TrumpÂs State, CIA selectionsCIA Director Mike Pompeo listens while testifying on Capitol Hill May 11, 2017 in Washington. Trump ousted Rex Tillerson as secretary of state Tuesday, making a surprise Twitter announcement that heÂs naming CIA director Mike Pompeo to replace him. [AP PHOTO/JACQUELYN MARTIN]

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DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 A3 LOCAL & STATETom McNiff, editor 352-365-8250 tom.mcniff@dailycommercial.com By Tamara LushAssociated PressORLANDO Â„ If jurors in a federal trial in Florida believe government prosecutors, the wife of the man who carried out one of the U.S.Âs biggest mass shootings gave a Âgreen lightÂŽ to her husband when he wanted to execute his terrorist-inspired attack.But if they accept Noor SalmanÂs attorneyÂs account that she was a Âdevoted motherÂŽ with an IQ of 84 and was the victim of Omar MateenÂs repeated lies throughout their marriage, they could decide she had no prior knowledge of the attack.Salman went on trial Wednesday in Orlando. The 31-year-old is accused of aiding and abetting her husband in his attack on the Pulse nightclub in June of 2016. SheÂs also charged with obstruction of justice. If con-victed, she faces life in prison.Prosecutors portrayed a woman who knew Mateen was buying rounds of ammuni-tion for his AR-15, helped him spend thousands of dollars before the attack and knew about his plan when he left the house in the hours before the shooting. They also say she lied, tried to mislead FBI agents and had knowledge of her husbandÂs sick fascination with violent jihadist videos and terrorism.ÂNone of the victims that night knew the horrific events that would unfold. No one knew except for two people: Omar Mateen and his wife,ÂŽ Assistant U.S. Attorney James Mandolfo said. ÂThe defendant gave Omar Mateen the green light to commit terrorism on behalf of ISIS.ÂŽIn his hourlong opening statement, Mandolfo gave several examples of SalmanÂs conflicting statements to FBI agents in the hours after the attack. In one conversation with authorities, before they informed her of any details of the attack, she said, ÂMy Trial begins for Pulse shooterÂs widowLaw enforcement ofÂ“ cials work at the Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016 in Orlando, following a mass shooting. The widow of the gunman who killed dozens of people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando is going on trial Wednesday in federal court. 31-year-old Noor Salman is charged with aiding and abetting her deceased husband Omar Mateen in planning the 2016 attack on the Pulse nightclub. [AP PHOTO/CHRIS OÂMEARA] See TRIAL, A4Lawyers di er on what Noor Salman knew before husbandÂs attackBy Frank Stanfield frankstanfield@dailycommercial.comGov. Rick Scott recently announced from the floor of the state House that he was appointing Rep. Larry Metz to become a judge in the 5th Judicial Circuit. He will replace Circuit Judge William Law, who is retiring.Metz, 62, is a 1976 graduate of University of Florida and a 1978 graduate of Florida State University School of Law. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps (1976-80) and served two years in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring at the rank of captain.An attorney in private practice for many years, Metz entered politics in 2004 when he was appointed to the Lake County School Board by then-Gov. Jeb Bush to serve an unexpired term. He was elected to a full four-year term in 2006. Metz also served on the Lake County Value Adjustment Board, the Lake County Zoning Board and the Lake-Sumter Metro-politan Planning Organization Governing Board.He was first elected to the Florida House of Representa-tives in 2010.Circuit judges are paid $146,080 per year. The following is an email Q & A with the new judge.Q: Mr. Metz, I see from your website that you defend insurance companies in civil cases, including wrongful death, etc. Circuit judges in Lake tend to rotate from civil, to family to juvenile to crimi-nal. How do you feel about tackling those different types of cases?A: I will be prepared to handle the cases assigned to me.Q & A with new Circuit Judge Larry MetzVeteran lawmaker going from legislative branch to judicial See METZ, A4By Linda Charlton CorrespondentCLERMONT Â„ The Cler-mont City Council on Tuesday withdrew its St. Johns River Water Management District permit for a boat ramp at Lake Hiawatha Preserve.The vote Tuesday reverses a decision the council made on Dec. 12, when it voted 3-2 to relocate the city's boat ramp to the Hiawatha Preserve site to make way for the a massive storm water drainage project and park, and it comes on the heels of two lawsuits filed by city residents to block the move. But the controversy goes back to mid-summer, when local boaters and Hiawatha-area residents became aware of the city's plans. They cre-ated an advocacy organization called Clermont Chain of Lakes Foundation and hired an attorney to sue the city.That attorney, Gregory Council abandons boat ramp planA boat launches earlier this month at the Clermont boat ramp on Lake Minneola. The Clermont City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to withdraw its St. Johns River Water Management District permit for a boat ramp at Lake Hiawatha Preserve. [LINDA CHARLTON / CORRESPONDENT] See COUNCIL, A4BEST BETS FOR TODAYIRISH MUSIC PROGRAM: From 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Cooper Memorial Library, 2525 Oakley Seaver Drive in Clermont. With acoustic accordion player Connie Marie. Free. Call 352-5362275 for information. SUPER JAM: At 7 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 S.E. 138th Terrace in Weirsdale. With OBO band and other select performers. Go to obopry.com for tickets and information. FOOD TRUCKS: From 5 to 8:30 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at Sunset Park in Mount Dora. Featuring 10 to 12 food trucks. Call 352-3832165 or email chamber@ mountdora.com. FLORIDA LAKES SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: At 7:30 p.m. at Epiphany Celebration Anglican Church, 1724 South Bay St. in Eustis. Love Stories. Go to FloridaLakesSymphonyOrchestra.com for tickets and information.NEWS BRIEFSHOLLYWOODMan gives wife kidney for 23rd anniversaryFor their 23rd wed-ding anniversary, Cesar Calle gave his wife Monica a kidney.The couple from Weston, Florida, spoke to reporters Tuesday about their Feb. 19 surgeries at Memorial Regional Hospital. It was the first successful live donor kidney trans-plant at the Hollywood hospital where Monica Calle works.Medical team leader Dr. Juan Arenas says it's unusual to find a match between spouses. Monica Calle agreed, saying she feels "like I just won the lottery."It took 30 health care workers to get the couple through the process and they actually went home from the hospital early.Their anniversary on Thursday will hold an extra special meaning this year for the couple and their three children.KISSIMMEEPolice: Small plane makes crash landing on Florida streetPolice in Florida say a small airplane has crash-landed on a street.Kissimmee police spokeswoman Stacie Miller tells the Orlando Sentinel that there were two men inside the air-craft, but no one was injured. City officials say the pilot and the passenger were treated at the scene.TOP: Two gliders Â” y side by side at the Senior Soaring Championship in Clermont. [PHOTOS BY BOB SNOW / CORRESPONDENT]LEFT: A man takes off in his glider at the Senior Soaring Championship in Clermont. A pilot prepares to launch at the Senior Soaring Championship in Clermont. Dozens of sleek gliders w ent aloft in the skies over south Lake County this week for the 27th edition of the Senior Soaring Championship. The event at Seminole Lake Gliderport kicked off Sunday and continues until Saturday. During the event, which was launched a quarter century ago as a fun gathering for glider enthusiasts, has become a major competition during which pilots look for air currents that will carry them high, far and fast (many can exceed 60 mph).Soaring highGlider pilots converge in Clermont for Senior Soaring Championships this weekSee BRIEFS, A4

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A4 Thursday, March 15, 2018 | DailyCommercial.com Funeral Services Theodore SmallTheodore Small, 55 of Altamonte Springs, died Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Hayes Brothers Funeral Home, Fern Park Chapel. 407.645.4633. Emma Lee Wright, 77, of Clermont, FL, departed this life on Thursday, March 1, 2018. Emma Lee was born on December 4, 1940 to the Late Chester Arthur and Adrene Black Wright. She graduated from Carver Heights High School in Leesburg, Class of 1958. She later moved to New York, where she worked various jobs and retired in 2005 from St. Luke Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, after 22 years of service. She is survived by her sister: Onetha Wright; and a host of other family members and friends. A service of celebration will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2018, 11:00AM at St. Mark AME Church, 810 Disston Avenue, Clermont. Interment: Oak Hill Cemetery, Clermont. POSTELLÂS MORTUARY is providing service for the Wright family.Emma Lee Wright TodayÂsServices Dr. Clarine T McCall meet and joined her parents, sister and son on Monday morning March 5th. Viewing to be held Friday, March 16, 2018 at St. John Baptist Church, 1735 Veech Rd., Leesburg. Service to convene Saturday, March 17, 2018 @ 11:00 a.m. @ Citadal of Hope Church, 2795 South St., Leesburg, FL. Family request in lieu of Â”owers please send donations to: Youth Outreach Umbrella @ P.O. Box 493953 Leesburg, FL 34749. All arrangements entrusted to Eastside Funeral Home (352) 326-5688.Dr. Clarine T McCall Broome, said the next step is for the city to file a withdrawal notice with St. Johns, and then the administrative law permit appeal goes away. As for the lawsuits, Broome says they will be taking a close look at the fine print, then determine what, if any, action may be needed.ÂThis is a good day,ÂŽ Broome said after the meeting.The city still has to find a location for the ramp, which is being relocated to make way for massive storm water drainage project and public park.On April 10, the City Council will consider two alternatives for the boat ramp. Those alternatives are to leave the ramp where it is Â„ pre-sumably with additional parking to make up for the parking now being lost to the construction of Triathlon Beach Â„ or to move the facility to the old Bell Ceramics property. The current ramp, the Bell Ceramics site, and the now-abandoned Hiawatha Preserve site are all on Lake Minneola.Speaking of her December vote to move the ramp to Hiawatha, Mayor Gail Ash said, ÂThe spot was chosen because at the time it was the recommended site by staff.ÂŽ Council member Diane Travis also noted that she voted for Hiawatha because it was recommended by the cityÂs consultants.Heidi Brishke was a new council member in December when she voted to move the ramp to Hiawatha Preserve. She was the first to speak on Tuesday when it came time for council comments.ÂI hate to waste the money we have already put in the project,ÂŽ Brishke said, Âbut itÂs clear we have made the wrong decision. I donÂt know what the right decision is. We, unfortunately, have to start over.ÂŽ COUNCILFrom Page A3husband is safe with guns.ÂŽSaid Mandolfo: ÂNo one ever told her about guns.ÂŽHe described a wife that knowingly went to at least two locations with Mateen to ÂscoutÂŽ sites of potential terrorist attacks. One was City Place, an open-air shopping center in West Palm Beach. The other was Disney Springs, a crowded dining and shopping area near the famed theme parks, Mandolfo said.ÂWhat would make people more upset, an attack at a club or an attack at Disney?ÂŽ Mateen asked his wife, according to Mandolfo.Salman also knew her husband was fascinated with violent jihadist videos, even pulling their 3-year-old away from the screen, Mandolfo said.The statements she made to the FBI after the attack will be key to the trial.SalmanÂs attorney, Linda Moreno, argued in opening statements that some of the claims are contradicted by cell-phone records and other evidence.ÂShe cooperated with the FBI completely,ÂŽ said Moreno, adding that her client never asked for a lawyer and consented to a home search. The FBI in their hourslong questioning manipulated and coerced her, Moreno asserts.ÂNoor Salman denied any knowledge of Omar MateenÂs plans for hours,ÂŽ she said, adding that agents told Salman that she could go to jail and not see her child.Her attorney said Mateen had a secret life that involved meeting women online and cheat-ing on Salman. Moreno called Mateen Âmisogynistic.ÂŽ According to court records, Mateen abused Salman, including when she was pregnant. ÂThe only sin was that she married a monster,ÂŽ said Moreno, adding that the jury can honor the victims of the attack by seeking the truth of her clientÂs actions.U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron said the trial could last three weeks or more, after taking several days to pick a jury of 12 with six alternates. Potential jurors were asked whether they could be impartial in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting, and whether they believe the war on terror targets Muslims. They were also quizzed on whether they knew survivors or vic-tims of a terrorist attack.Mateen, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed by police in the hours after the shooting. At the time of the attack, it was the worst mass shoot-ing in modern U.S. history. It was surpassed last Octo-ber by the fatal shooting of 58 people in Las Vegas.Salman was arrested in 2017 in California, where she was staying with family, and has been jailed since then.The first witness for the prosecution called Wednesday was Orlando police Officer Adam Gruler, who was working at Pulse in an off-duty capacity as security for the nightclub. TRIALFrom Page A3 Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yalaha, said it came as a surprise when Gov. Rick Scott named him a circuit court judge this week. [DAILY COMMERCIAL FILE] Q: How will your Leg-islature and school board experiences aid you in this new capacity?A: My judicial duties will be performed in accordance with my oath of office, the Code of Judicial Conduct and other appli-cable law.Q: A news story quoted you as saying that you were surprised when Gov. Scott made the announcement. You didnÂt talk to him about it beforehand?A: No.Q: You will be taking over for Judge Law some-time around the end of June when LawÂs term expires. When will you have to run for election for the post?A: My service will begin in July 2018. It is my understanding that the initial term of office will expire in early January, 2021. In order to continue serving I would need to win a full term in the 2020 election.Q: Will you be selling your private practice? Are there other lawyers in the firm?A: I will be closing my law practice. At present I am a solo practitioner.Q: Pardon me for asking this question, but didnÂt you make an announcement some time ago that you had some type of ill-ness, but that will not affect your ability to do the job?A: In late 2016 I was diagnosed with ParkinsonÂs disease, which is a movement disorder. The symptoms are treated with medication. It does not affect my ability to work. METZFrom Page A3 ÂThe only sin was that she married a monster.ÂŽ Noor SalmanÂs attorney, Linda Moreno By Jim TurnerNews Service of FloridaTALLAHASSEE Â„ When legislative budget chiefs agreed during negotiations to spend $1.5 million on a study about extending a toll road north to Georgia, they started to lock into FloridaÂs new budget some of the 78 recommendations a House select committee created in the wake of last yearÂs deadly hurricane season.Also crossing the finish line as the annual legisla-tive session ended Sunday was storm-related money for farm repairs, nursing homes to buy generators, affordable housing in Monroe County and to help students displaced from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Still, many of the high-profile measures crafted in response to hurricanes Irma and Maria failed to win support. They included creating a strate-gic fuel-reserve task force, requiring the Division of Emergency Management to use certified sign-lan-guage interpreters during emergency broadcasts and using rail-tank cars to bring fuel into evacua tion areas to avoid a repeat of runs on gas stations.Rep. Jeanette Nunez, a Miami Republican who was chairwoman of the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness, said Âa good amountÂŽ of the overall recommendations were approved by lawmakers. But she said the Senate failed to Âstep up to the plateÂŽ in match-ing the House in many of the policy changes sought by her committee.ÂIt was easier to address things on the budget side, even with our budget challenges at the last minute with the Parkland situation, than it was to really act on policy,ÂŽ Nunez said, referring to the Feb. 14 school shoot-ing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that led to a $400 million school-safety package.The select committee recommendations were approved as the regular session started in January.ÂItÂs a shame,ÂŽ Nunez said. ÂWe spent a lot of time, and we really did take that select commit-tee seriously. We listened to countless hours of pre-sentations. And I thought we had a really unique opportunity to address some significant gaps Â„ given our exposure and our risks with all the things that come with hurricane season Â„ which is now just three months away.ÂŽIn a news release after the budget was approved, Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said he was proud of the Senate, which conducted Âa thorough review of these critical issues and pleased that the Legislature passed a comprehensive recovery and prepared-ness package.ÂŽAt least $272.45 million in hurricane-related spending is included in the budget (HB 5001) that awaits a trip to Gov. Rick ScottÂs desk.That includes a study of a northern extension of the 57-mile Suncoast Parkway, which now ends just south of Citrus County. The House had initially proposed $10 million for the parkway extension study, but the number came down $1.5 million as budget chair-men started negotiations.ÂWe think you can do a feasibility study for $1.5 million, thatÂs a lot of money to do a feasibility study,ÂŽ said House Appropriations Chairman Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami.Other storm-related budget projects, accord-ing to a Senate summary, include $15 million for affordable housing in the Keys, $11.2 million for beach repairs and $5.9 million for the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center. Also, spending includes $126 million for education services for students dis-placed by Hurricane Maria and $750,000 for the state Department of Transpor-tation to conduct at least three exercises by May 1 using contraflow lanes Â„ directing traffic on both sides of a highway to travel the same direction Â„ to determine if such operations could speed evacuations.During the evacuation for Irma, with 6.5 million people ordered to move inland and away from the storm path, motorists spent up to 12 hours on routes that typically are covered in six to seven hours.The idea of contraflow hasnÂt drawn support from transportation offi-cials, who instead favor using road shoulders to provide additional lanes for fleeing motorists.A month ago, Scott backed his agency leaders by including the expansion of Âemergency shoulder useÂŽ when he issued a series of poststorm directives to the Department of Transpor-tation. Those directives also included ÂdynamicÂŽ message signs along Interstate 75, completing certain turnpike projects on time, installing cameras and message signs along I-75 from Ocala north to the Georgia state line, and increasing the capacity of the stateÂs Florida 511 website, which provides real-time traffic information about major roads.Separately during the session, legislators approved a pair of bills (HB 7099 and SB 7028) that ratify rules requiring nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have generators and 72 hours of fuel.The measures replace a pair of emergency rules that the Scott administration issued in September following the deaths of residents of The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, a Broward County nursing home that lost its air-conditioning system in Hurricane Irma.Lawmakers pass some post-Irma proposals, ditch othersCars drive on the shoulder of northbound Interstate 75 as Florida residents evacuated the southern areas of the state on Sept. 8 with Hurricane Irma approaching. [GATEHOUSE MEDIA FILE] MIAMIHonduran man pleads guilty in Florida mall bomb plot caseA Honduran man has pleaded guilty to U.S. charges in a plot to detonate a bomb in a Florida mall food court in support of the Islamic State extremist group.Vicente Adolfo Solano pleaded guilty Wednesday in Miami federal court to a single count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Court records show Solano will be sentenced May 30.The FBI says the 53-year-old Solano wanted to detonate a bomb last October at the Dolphin Mall near Miami but was actually working with undercover FBI operatives who gave him a fake bomb before his arrest.Despite Solano's claims of Islamic State sympathies, the FBI says no direct links to terrorist groups were found. Solano never had real explosives. BRIEFSFrom Page A4

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DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 A5By Steve PeoplesAssociated PressNEW YORK Â„ The special election in PennsylvaniaÂs 18th district has made one thing clear: Democrats turned a region that overwhelmingly backed President Donald Trump just 16 months ago into a dead heat. It didnÂt matter that this congressional district will effectively disappear next year. Each side fought hard and spent big know-ing that the race would help shape the national political landscape heading into the November midterm elections.With that in mind, here are the top takeaways as the final votes come in: Rethinking a ÂsafeÂ district Republicans are trying, but thereÂs no way to spin the special election results as anything other than a grim scenario for the Republican Party. Trump won the district by nearly 20 percentage points in 2016. Democrat Conor LambÂs performance in southwestern Pennsylvania means that the GOPÂs grip on the House majority is in serious peril this fall.There has been much discussion about the vulnerability of 23 Republicans serving in congressional districts that Trump lost in 2016. TheyÂre more vulnerable than ever. But there are scores of other Republi-can-held seats considered more competitive than PennsylvaniaÂs 18th district. Democrats need to flip 24 seats to claim the House majority Â„ just 23 if Lamb wins. Both num-bers increasingly look reachable. For GOP strat-egists, or those members considering retirement, it may be time to hit the panic button. Trump hits his limitThe president was all-in for Republican Rick Saccone in a region considered solid Trump country. The Repub-lican president visited the district twice on SacconeÂs behalf. He dispatched his daughter, his eldest son, his chief counselor and his vice president to the district. It wasnÂt enough to pull out a clear win.Saccone parroted TrumpÂs message, he said he wanted to be TrumpÂs Âwingman,ÂŽ and he benefited from TrumpÂs political operation. It wasnÂt enough.This marks the second consecutive special elec-tion in which Trump struggled to push his pre-ferred candidate over the finish line. Only this time, unlike AlabamaÂs recent Senate election, he canÂt blame a candidate saddled with multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Democrats are hotDemocrats did it in Virginia, New Jersey, Alabama. They did it in a string of lower-profile state house elections in places like Missouri and New Hampshire. Now, theyÂve done it in the heart of Trump country in working-class western Pennsylvania.As the November midterms grow closer, the energy on the left is as strong as ever. Lamb effectively harnessed that energy with a large getout-the-vote operation that dwarfed that of his Republican opponent. And Democratic candidates across the country hailed PennsylvaniaÂs result as reason to be even more excited. Rep. Charlie Dent, an eastern Pennsylvania Republican who is retir-ing at the end of the year, predicted Wednesday that the Democratic wave Âis going to be like 2010ÂŽ Â„ a reference to the anti-Obama wave that cost the Democratic Party 63 seats.Candidates matter, but only so muchSaccone was an under-whelming candidate. He struggled to raise money. He had a weak get-outthe-vote operation. He didnÂt spend much time with voters. But itÂs a mistake to suggest that the Republican state repre-sentativeÂs personal flaws alone triggered a 20-point swing in his district.Saccone didnÂt make any major gaffes. He avoided the personal scandals that have plagued Repub-lican candidates in other recent elections. And he was remarkably disciplined in a message that embraced Trump, promoted the GOP-backed tax overhaul, and tied his opponent to unpopular Democratic leaders like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. ThatÂs roughly the same playbook Republicans are planning to employ in Republican-leaning regions across the country.Pennsylvania takeaways: GOP reaches for the panic buttonConor Lamb, the Democratic candidate for the March 13 special election in PennsylvaniaÂs 18th Congressional District celebrates with his supporters at his election night party in Canonsburg, Pa., early Wednesday. [AP PHOTO/GENE J. PUSKAR]

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A6 Thursday, March 15, 2018 | DailyCommercial.cominternational best seller, making him one of science's biggest celebrities since Albert Einstein.Even though his body was attacked by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, when Hawking was 21, he stunned doctors by living with the normally fatal illness for more than 50 years. A severe attack of pneumonia in 1985 left him breathing through a tube, forcing him to communicate through an electronic voice synthesizer that gave him his distinctive robotic monotone.But he continued his sci-entific work, appeared on television and married for a second time. As one of Isaac Newton's successors as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, Hawking was involved in the search for the great goal of physics Â„ a "unified theory."Such a theory would resolve the contradictions between Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which describes the laws of grav-ity that govern the motion of large objects like planets, and the Theory of Quantum Mechanics, which deals with the world of subatomic particles.For Hawking, the search was almost a religious quest Â„ he said finding a "theory of everything" would allow mankind to "know the mind of God.""A complete, consistent unified theory is only the first step: our goal is a complete understanding of the events around us, and of our own existence," he wrote in "A Brief History of Time."In later years, though, he suggested a unified theory might not exist.He followed up "A Brief History of Time" in 2001 with the more accessible sequel "The Universe in a Nutshell," updating readers on concepts like super gravity, naked singularities and the possibility of an 11-dimensional universe.Hawking said belief in a God who intervenes in the universe "to make sure the good guys win or get rewarded in the next life" was wishful thinking."But one can't help asking the question: Why does the universe exist?" he said in 1991. "I don't know an operational way to give the question or the answer, if there is one, a meaning. But it bothers me."The combination of his best-selling book and his almost total disability Â„ for a while he could use a few fingers, later he could only tighten the muscles on his face Â„ made him one of science's most recognizable faces.He made cameo television appearances in "The Simpsons" and "Star Trek" and counted among his fans U2 guitarist The Edge, who attended a January 2002 celebration of Hawking's 60th birthday.His early life was chronicled in the 2014 film "The Theory of Everything," with Eddie Redmayne win-ning the best actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the scientist. The film focused still more attention on Hawking's remarkable achievements.Some colleagues credited that celebrity with generating new enthusiasm for science.His achievements, and his longevity, also helped prove to many that even the most severe disabilities need not stop patients from living. HAWKINGFrom Page A1hobbies. Soccer, swimming, baseball, JROTC and other activities were featured prominently on each banner.ÂIt was a really emo-tional experience. As soon as they started doing that, kids were crying in closets,ÂŽ said Mel Padilla, an art teacher at Leesburg. ÂIt made it really personal to them.ÂŽThose killed were Alyssa Alhadeff, 14, Scott Beigel, 35, Martin Duque, 14, Nicholas Dworet, 17, Aaron Feis, 37, Jamie Guttenberg, 14, Chris Hixon 49, Luke Hoyer, 15, Cara Loughran 14, Gina Montalto, 14, Joaquin Oliver, 17, Alaina Petty, 14, Meadow Pollack, 18, Helena Ramsay, 17, Alex Schachter, 14, Carmen Schentrup, 16, and Peter Wang, 15.Alex Gladis, 16, did the research on each victim.ÂIt felt like it was more than people you hear about on the news. It humanized it,ÂŽ Alex said of what she discovered.Martinis McDuffie, 17, president of the schools National Art Honor Soci-ety, helped organize the effort.ÂWe had some kids who had to take a moment. It got a little heavy sometimes. We had a conversation about gun violence at school,ÂŽ he said.Michael Randolph, Leesburg HighÂs principal, was proud of his students for honoring the victims and participating in the national conversation on school safety.ÂItÂs a school safety issue that weÂre fighting for and that we are advo-cating for. School should be a safe place for every student, and right now our students donÂt feel safe around campuses all over the country. I want to return that feeling of safety to our students,ÂŽ Randolph said.Every middle school and high school in Lake County planned to mark the day. Some events were more elaborate than others and included school administrators and students working together, according to Sherri Owens, the district spokeswoman.Clermont Middle School postponed their event due to an unconfirmed threat. A student reported hearing about a threat, but the Lake County SheriffÂs Office found no evidence to make an arrest. The walk-out will take place another day, Owens said.At Lake Minneola High School, faculty, administrators and students encircled the football field in a planned Âwalk-inÂŽ to remember those lost at Marjory Stoneman Doug-las and to rally for change so that it never happens again.Seventeen empty chairs sat in the middle of the circle in remembrance of the shooting victims whose lives ended on Val-entineÂs Day.Principal Linda Shepherd-Miller called out one victimÂs name every minute and in between, students stood in complete silence, some with their heads bowed, holding hands with one another, crying silently or just reflecting on the moment.ÂWhen my hawks came to me wanting to support and gather in memory of the lives that were lost at Marjory Stoneman, with-out a doubt we were going to come together as one hawk. One hawk united, one hawk humble and one hawk kind,ÂŽ ShepherdMiller said. ÂItÂs part of the healing process.ÂŽJunior Essence Solomon said she was hoping for change.ÂMy first thought was basically, Âagain?ÂÂŽ Solomon said. ÂThis has happened so many times before and there still hasnÂt been any change whatsoever. And I feel like after it happening so many times, there should be something done because kids are dying and nothing is happening about it.ÂŽ HONORFrom Page A1Leesburg High School students honored the 17 people killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. [WHITNEY LEHNECKER/DAILY COMMERCIAL] BritainÂs Professor Stephen Hawking receives the Honorary Freedom of the City of London during a ceremony March 6, 2017 at the Guildhall in the City of London. Cambridge University had put Stephen HawkingÂs doctoral thesis online on Oct. 23, 2017, triggering such interest that it crashed the universityÂs website. [AP PHOTO/MATT DUNHAM]

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DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 A7By Jim SaundersNews Service of FloridaTALLAHASSEE Â„ A proposed constitutional amendment that would impose eight-year term limits on members of county school boards would pass comfortably if it goes on the November ballot, according to a new poll.The poll, released Tuesday by the Tallahas-see-based firm Clearview Research, shows that 68 percent of voters support limiting school-board members to two fouryear terms. The Florida Constitution Revision Commission is looking at placing the issue on this yearÂs general-election ballot.ÂThe eight-year term limits (proposal) for school board members begins in relatively safe territory for two rea-sons. First, it begins with 68 percent support and second it is an easy and clear concept for voters to understand,ÂŽ Steve Vancore, president of Clearview Research, said in comments accompany-ing the poll results.The Constitution Revision Commission meets every 20 years and has the power to directly place proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot. VancoreÂs firm polled 750 likely voters on a series of issues being considered by the commission, which is expected to finalize a list of ballot proposals this spring.The proposal to place term limits on schoolboard members, offered by Constitution Revision Commission member Erika Donalds, has drawn widespread attention Â„ and objections from groups such as the Florida School Boards Association and the League of Women Voters of Florida.ÂThis proposal would apply to only one group among several similar groups of local elected officials,ÂŽ the school boards association said in a document on its website. ÂIt seems dis-criminatory and punitive to single out one group to be subjected to these conditions and limita-tions that are not applied equally to all similar groups.ÂŽNevertheless, term limits Â„ which were approved in 1992 for members of the state Legislature Â„ have been popular with voters. The poll results released Tuesday indicate that 68 percent of voters would ÂdefinitelyÂŽ or ÂprobablyÂŽ vote for school-board term limits, while only 25 percent would ÂdefinitelyÂŽ or ÂprobablyÂŽ vote no.Constitutional amend-ments require 60 percent approval to pass.Clearview Research conducted the poll from March 1 through last Wednesday, with the results having a margin of error of 3.58 percentage points. The firm on Tues-day released the results of three questions about proposed constitutional amendments.While the term-limits proposal received broad support, voters appear unlikely to approve another high-profile pro-posal that would lift a ban on state money being used to support churches and other religious groups Â„ what is commonly known as the Âno aidÂŽ provision of the Constitution.The no-aid provision, for example, has become an issue in debates about school vouchers. The 1st District Court of Appeal in 2004 cited the provision in striking down a voucher program that paid for children to go to religious schools, though the Florida Supreme Court later found the pro-gram unconstitutional on other grounds.The poll indicated only 41 percent of voters said they ÂdefinitelyÂŽ or ÂprobablyÂŽ would support a proposed constitutional amendment to remove the no-aid provision from the Con-stitution, while 51 percent said they definitely or probably would not.Vancore acknowledged difficulty in wording the poll question to come up with a Âneutral and accu-rateÂŽ description of the proposal and consulted with an election attorney, Glenn Burhans, about wording issues. But Van-core said the firm decided to stick closely with the way the proposed con-stitutional amendment is worded.ÂWith that we are com-fortable with the language as it accurately describes the actual impact and, as such, (the proposal) begins in a very poor posi-tion with a majority (51 percent) voting ÂnoÂ and only 41 percent indicat-ing a ÂyesÂ vote,ÂŽ Vancore said in the written comments. ÂAs worded, this item would have virtually no chance of attaining the 60 percent threshold.ÂŽVoters back school board term limits 2018 LAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS NOMINATION FORMSponsored by: COMPLETED FORMS: Postmarked by April 2, 2018 Send via E-MAIL: Mandy Wettstein at mandywettstein+2018CSA@gmail.com or POST: Lake County Community Service Awards PURPOSE: To annually recognize and publicly honor outstanding community service in the fields of: Arts/Cultural Education Leadership Public Service Sports/Athletics Humanitarian Public Safety Entrepreneur NOMINEE: Category _____________________________________________________________________________________ Name ________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________________________________ Phones _______________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail ________________________________________________________________________________________ REASONS FOR NOMINATION 1 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ AWARDS RECEIVED BY NOMINEE THAT RELATE TO CATEGORY 1 ____________________________________________ 2 _____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 4 _____________________________________________ CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND POSITIONS THAT RELATE TO CATEGORY 1 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 4 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ NOMINATOR Name ________________________________________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________________________________________ Phones ____________________________________E-mail _____________________________________________ Note: one page of additional comments may be attached Youth Award 2018 LAKE COUNTYCommunity Service Awards NOMINATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED! WeÂre sure you know a person whose dedication and selflessness have made Lake County a better place. Now itÂs time to give them the recognition they deserve. Nominating someone is easy. Nomination forms will be printed in the Daily Commercial, can be picked up at the Chamber of Commerce offices and City Halls throughout Lake County or you can email Mandy Wettstein at mandywettstein+2018CSA@gmail.com and have one sent to you.If selected, your nominee will be honored at the 2018 Lake County Community Service Awards Dinner on May 9th, 2018 at Lake Receptions. SO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION. MAKE YOUR NOMINATIONS TODAY! Nominations must be postmarked by April 2, 2018 Mail to: LAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS Lake County Chamber Alliance Attn: 2018 CSAPO Box 709 Mount Dora, FL 32756or email to: Mandy Wettstein at mandywettstein+2018CSA@gmail.com Arts/CulturalAn individual whose personal or professional talents/activities in the cultural arts have contributed to the enrichment of Lake County.Hall of Fame Business AwardFor career business achievement of 20 years or more.Business AchievementA business leader whose achievements within his or her field have aided the economic business climate of Lake County. Categories: Small Medium (12-39 employees) Large (more than 40 employees)EducationAn employed, elected or volunteer educator who has shown innovation and dedication to public or private schools in Lake County.HumanitarianAn individual whose volunteer activities have improved the quality of life in Lake County.Sports/AthleticsA person who has achieved in sports through performance or in promotion of athletic events in Lake County.Lake County Leadership AwardAn individual whose guidance & leadership has impacted Lake County.Public ServiceAn outstanding elected or employed official of state, county or city government; or a volunteer who has made contributions toward improving Lake CountyÂs quality of life.Chris Daniels Memorial Public Safety AwardTo recognize an individual in the area of Public Safety who has demonstrated superior performance in their career, and has shown a commitment to better the Lake County through community involvement. This would include those persons in Lake County in the careers of law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services and emergency management.Youth AwardA Lake County Youth (age 18 and younger) that has demonstrated and excelled in providing community service and involvement in two or more of the following categories: Arts/Cultural, Education, Humanitarian, Public Service, Sports/Athletics and/or Public Safety.EntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an individual who starts and runs a business with limited resources and planning, taking account of all the unknown risks and rewards.

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A8 Thursday, March 15, 2018 | DailyCommercial.comgear to scare friends out-side the vehicle as a joke, Iozzi said. Somehow, the gas pedal was pushed, sending the truck into a parked vehicle and then two pedestrians before it finally came to rest against a tree.Lawanda Alteen, 37, who was in the parked vehicle, was not injured. Pedestrian Matthew Wilkerson, 26, of Citra, refused treatment for minor injuries, but Michael Roberts, 27, of Ocala, was pinned beneath the vehicle and later died at Orlando Regional Medi-cal Center.David Peter Ward, the man who put on the Hang Out Fridays event, said he only sold 100 tickets to the bowling alley, bar and entertainment venue, which could hold up to 900 people. His Facebook page advertised: ÂLadies 21 and up free till 11:15,ÂŽ and Âmusic by Funk Boi DJS, 10:30 p.m. until 2:30 a.m.ÂŽHe described the event as a ÂpartyÂŽ with a DJ, not a concert, as it was labeled in the hours following the event.He was reluctant to comment, saying the incident is still under investigation, but did say, ÂWe want to express our condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Roberts.ÂŽSeveral people were supportive on his Face-book page. One man was arrested at the scene but he was not the driver of the pickup, police said.When Officer Travonte Kitchen heard the crash he started running to the scene. He saw a man jump out of a Chevrolet with South Carolina plates. He ordered the man to stop, but he kept running and pushed a bystander out of the way.The officer eventually fired his Taser, but that didnÂt stop him. the fleeing man even tried to get into another car, yelling ÂLet me in!ÂŽ That vehicle drove off, and he fell to the ground.Officers were then able to slap handcuffs on him and put him in the back of a patrol car.He gave officers a fake name. Eventually, they learned his name is Carlon K. Webb, 25, of Ocala. He was wanted on several felony warrants out of Marion County. In Lake County, he was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest without violence and pro-viding false identification to police. He was taken to the Lake County Jail where he was held on $15,000 bail.Police are still interview-ing witnesses. Some have come forward saying that they, too, were struck by the pickup truck.Investigators are also sifting through evidence, including phones left in the vehicle and DNA, which could pinpoint the driver. It could take several weeks for those results to come back, Iozzi cautioned.If Ward is correct, and only 100 tickets were sold, the large crowd that showed up was still dif-ficult for police to handle.There were reports of shots fired at a nearby Waffle House, which turned out to be false, and a big crowd at a con-venience store down the road.The ripple effect was reminiscent of what hap-pened in Mount Dora last summer, when an event was oversold at a banquet hall, extra police had to be called in, and two people were shot nearby, one fatally.The banquet hall was cited for code violations and Mount Dora started getting involved proactively with a new temporary permit process.ViaEntertainment was the scene of an earlier party, but the only problem then was noise complaints from neighbors.Anyone with informa-tion about the case can call Leesburg Police at 352-728-9860 or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. CRASHFrom Page A1 are done with being shot,ÂŽ said Iris Foss-Ober, 18, a senior at Washburn High School in Minneapolis.Some schools applauded students for taking a stand or at least tolerated the walkouts, while others threatened punishment.Protesters called for such measures as tighter background checks on gun purchases and a ban on assault weapons like the one used in the Florida bloodbath.As the protests unfolded, the NRA responded by posting a photo on Twitter of a black rifle emblazoned with an American flag. The caption: ÂIÂll control my own guns, thank you.ÂŽWalkouts interrupted the day at schools from the elementary level through college, and at some that have witnessed their own mass shootings. About 250 students gathered on a soccer field at ColoradoÂs Columbine High School, while students who survived the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack in 2012 walked out of Newtown High School in Connecticut.In joining the protests, the students followed the example set by many of the survivors of the Florida shooting, who have become gun-control activists, leading rallies, lobbying legislators and giving TV interviews. Their efforts helped spur passage last week of a Florida law curbing access to assault rifles by young people.In Washington, more than 2,000 high-school age protesters observed the 17 minutes of silence by sitting on the ground with their backs turned to the White House as a church bell tolled. President Donald Trump was in Los Angeles at the time.The protesters carried signs with messages such as ÂOur Blood/ Your HandsÂŽ and ÂNever AgainÂŽ and chanted slo-gans against the NRA.In New York City, they chanted, ÂEnough is enough!ÂŽ In Salt Lake City, the signs read, ÂPro-tect kids not guns,ÂŽ ÂFear has no place in schoolÂŽ and ÂAm I next?ÂŽStoneman Douglas High senior David Hogg, who has emerged as one of the leading student activists, livestreamed the walkout at the tragedy-stricken school on his YouTube channel.He said the students could not be expected to remain in class when there was work to do to prevent gun violence.ÂEvery one of these indi-viduals could have died that day. I could have died that day,ÂŽ he said.At Aztec High School in a rural, gun-friendly part of New Mexico, students aimed to avoid politics and opted for a ceremony honoring students killed in shootings Â„ including two who died in a December attack at Aztec.ÂOur kids sit on both ends of the spectrum, and we have a diverse commu-nity when it comes to gun rights and gun control,ÂŽ Principal Warman Hall said.About 10 students left OhioÂs West Liberty-Salem High School Â„ which witnessed a shooting last year Â„ despite a warning they could face detention or more serious discipline.Police in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta patrolled Kell High, where students were threatened with unspecified consequences if they par-ticipated. Three students walked out anyway.The coordinated protests were organized by Empower, the youth wing of the WomenÂs March, which brought thousands to Washington last year.Congress has shown little inclination to tighten gun laws, and Trump backed away from his ini-tial support for raising the minimum age for buying an assault rifle to 21.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had no imme-diate public comment on the walkout.Historians said the dem-onstrations were shaping up to be one of the largest youth protests in decades. WALKOUTSFrom Page A1

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DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 A9 WeÂre not sure how many times weÂve seen the phrase Âfailed VA leadershipÂŽ in stories and headlines over the years, but we know it has a too-familiar ring. WeÂve listened for years now Â„ decades, really Â„ as Department of Veterans Affairs leaders vowed change and improvement in the health-care services offered to our nationÂs veterans. And weÂve even seen the VA make good on those pledges. But Âfailed leadershipÂŽ is back again in a new report from the VAÂs internal watchdog. ItÂs another blow to VA Secretary David Shulkin, who was already under fire for abuse of travel funding. Shulkin spoke with reporters on March 7 about the report, acknowledging that the VA still has ÂsystemicÂŽ problems. And once again, the top VA leader is pledging massive change across the organization. This latest report by the VAÂs inspector general appears to have caught Shulkin by surprise with its revelations of Âcritical deficienciesÂŽ at the VA hospital closest to ShulkinÂs own office: the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The 144-page report documents supply shortages, Âchronic staffing shortages,ÂŽ Âexcessive vacancies in leadership positions,ÂŽ and a Âlack of consistently clean storage areas for medical supplies and equipment.ÂŽ The problems at the medical center, the report says, are Âprevalent and deeply intertwined.ÂŽ The inspector general also documented Âserious, persistent deficienciesÂŽ in at least three VA program offices that were directly under ShulkinÂs command when he was the VAÂs undersecretary of health in 2015 and 2016. And the report cited other problems across the VAÂs national network, including the purchase of at least $92 million in overpriced medical supplies, and the possibility of data breaches as thousands of patient records sat in 1,300 unsecured boxes. The problems appear to start at the top. The inspector generalÂs office reported that it Âencountered a culture of complacency among VA and Veterans Health Administration leaders at multiple levels who failed to address previously identified serious issues with a sense of urgency or purpose.ÂŽ The investigators also found that, Âin interviews, leaders frequently abrogated individual responsibility and deflected blame to others.ÂŽ Last week, Shulkin vowed sweeping change, including unannounced audits of the systemÂs more than 1,700 medical facilities by health experts in the private sector, hiring to fill vacancies at the VAÂs hospitals and plans to streamline the bureaucracy and improve communications. The White House restated its support for Shulkin, saying heÂs done a Âgreat jobÂŽ of bringing change to the VA. Yet significant parts of the VA are still broken. So what needs to happen? First, itÂs really time to determine if the governmentÂs second-largest department is capable of carrying out its mission. Is the VA simply too big to succeed? Is this a healthcare bureaucracy that will inevitably collapse under its own weight and is impossible to effectively manage? We know that veterans groups and Shulkin himself have a fierce belief that the government must provide proper health care for the nationÂs veterans, and that the job canÂt be parceled out to health professionals in the private and nonprofit sectors. Yet, does a veteranÂs heart disease or cancer need a substantially different medical treatment than the same illness in a person who hasnÂt served? Conditions like traumatic brain injury, loss of limbs and other battlefield injuries often do need specialized treatment and the VA should maintain top-notch clinics to provide that care. But we have to wonder, as we see failure after failure in the VA system to provide routine medical care, if the system will ever be capable of serving all the healthcare needs of every American veteran. This editorial was excerpted from the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer.ANOTHER OPINIONIs the VA system too big to succeed? ANOTHER OPINION President TrumpÂs critics, who include many establishment Republicans, are finding themselves left with few issues given the presidentÂs recent string of successes. How difficult it must have been for The New York Times, perhaps the most vehement media critic of the president (The Washington Post is a close runner-up) to have this headline on its Saturday front page: ÂEconomy, in Sweet Spot, Adds 313,000 Jobs. It May Get Sweeter.ÂŽ At the other end of the political spectrum, talk show host Rush Limbaugh described the good economic news as ÂThe epic Trump economic turnaround,ÂŽ adding, ÂMake no mistake: This is not some cyclical recovery. This is not a cyclical rebound. This is a policyand confidencedriven, substantive economic turnaround, and it would not have happened had Hillary Clinton been elected, and it probably wouldnÂt have had if 90 percent of the Republican field in the primaries had been elected.ÂŽ Even historically stubborn black unemployment has declined. A story in The Washington Examiner noted, ÂJust 6.9 percent of black adults were unemployed in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the second-lowest such ratio since the agency has been keeping track.ÂŽ All stock indexes were up Â„ way up Â„ last Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 440 points, no doubt delighting retirees and others with stocks and mutual funds. According to Marketwatch.com, in the year since TrumpÂs inauguration, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 32.1 percent, Âthe second-best of any president in the DowÂs history.ÂŽ Consumer confidence is the highest since 2000, according to a Conference Board Survey. The left, which has often pushed for direct talks with dictators Â„ President Obama said he would be willing to talk with just about anybody in the pursuit of peace, including leaders of Iran Â„ are now warning President Trump about his plans to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. The rap on the president from the establishment and other critics was his inexperience. HeÂs chaotic, they said, and without a policy portfolio. He doesnÂt know what he is doing. Given the records of past presidents, who claimed to know what they were doing yet couldnÂt, or wouldnÂt, produce results like this president, TrumpÂs mercurial behavior may turn out not to be a bad thing. The scene at the White House last Friday was remarkable. There stood labor union leaders and members of the steel industry praising President Trump for his pledge to implement tariffs on countries that dump cheap steel in the United States, undermining U.S. steel production and, as the president said, threatening U.S. national security. How? By forcing America to buy steel (and aluminum) from countries like China and other nations that are not exactly U.S. allies. These union leaders usually vote for and contribute to Democrats. Many supported Hillary ClintonÂs campaign, but to listen to them praise the president, one might think theyÂve been converted. TuesdayÂs special congressional election in western Pennsylvania, a steel region, may tell us something about whether the presidentÂs tariff policy will produce votes for the Republican candidate. If the Republican wins, Democrats will have more reason to panic. Critics of the president are putting more faith in Special Counsel Robert MuellerÂs investigation of supposed wrongdoing by Trump and his associates during the campaign and since, as well as in a Âporn star,ÂŽ who claims she had sex with Trump in 2016. ThatÂs Âlast gaspÂŽ stuff, the bottom of the barrel, the place where one goes when all the news is bad for your party and political positions. It is not a good time to be a Democrat, or a Republican critic of this president. More people seem to be tuning out the critics and tuning in to what growing numbers of Americans think is beginning to look great again. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.ANOTHER OPINIONHow do Trump critics respond to success?I support STAR program Can we agree that evil exists in our society and community and that it cannot prevail? Can we also agree that school gun-free zones have not achieved their desired result? Based on this reality, I strongly support the STAR program proposal presented by Lake County Sheriff Grinnell. This program allows willing and trained school personnel to take a defensive posture against an active shooter. School Board Member Mathias is the lone supporter of this proposal now before the board. As for the remaining School Board members, I ask, where is the evidence that gun-free zones work? Is this not just another failed government program with tragic results? Are we not beyond the frothy emotional gun discussion and at a point where itÂs time to defend ourselves, our kids and our community? To do otherwise is suicide. Andy Dubois, Howey-in-the-Hills Assault riÂ” e ban should be on the ballot The Daily Commercial had an outstanding editorial again on Wednesday, ÂPlace a ban on assault rifles on the ballot.ÂŽ There are three ways to have it placed on the ballot. One is by the state legislature, which is not possible at this time because the National Rifle Association controls the legislature on this issue. Another way is the citizens initiative through the expensive and time-consuming petition process. The 2020 election is the earliest it could be placed on the ballot. There is a third way by which it could be placed on the ballot for 2018 and that is through the Florida Constitutional Revision Commission. The Commission meets every 20 years and is in session now. It has the power to place it on the ballot but lacks the will because the members are not in tune with what the people desire. There is no reason a civilian can justify the need to have an assault rifle designed to kill people fast in war. The majority of Floridians support banning assault weapons, so in the next election, we have the power to remove or not vote for politicians that are in the pockets of the NRA. Democracy is based on rule by the majority opinion. Marvin Jacobson, Clermont Citizens donÂt need weapons of mass destruction The guarantees and freedoms assured by the U.S. Constitution are all limited by laws. All laws are designed to limit personal freedoms, for example I can not drive 100 miles per hour just because I might want to, rob a bank just because that is where the money is or raise livestock in violation of zoning laws. We do not need a wellregulated militia and young white men retaining muskets in the event they are called up to fight the British or any enemy. We have the most expensive military in the world and are tall hog at the hog trough. Even though a young person 18 years of age may have a wargrade weapon while in the military, that same person should not have the right to have one as a civilian unless he or she intends to kill American citizens. I was licensed to carry a firearm and did. The Second Amendment must be restricted by laws to meet todayÂs realities. We do not need weapons of mass destruction in the hands of every citizen. Admittedly, we can have mass killings with automobiles, assault rifles, chemical weapons and homemade bombs, and I am more fearful of explosives than AR-15s. Universal nationwide background checks are essential to helping deny firearms to those who are unstable, criminals or homegrown terrorists. We are four percent of the world population with 40 percent of the worldÂs civilian firearms and 31 percent of mass shootings. The USA leads the world in firearm deaths. Are we insane? Choice Edwards, ClermontLETTERS TO THE EDITOR OPINIONSteve Skaggs | Publisher Tom McNiff | Executive Editor Whitney Lehnecker | Digital Editor, Lifestyles Editor Tom McNiff, editor 352-365-8250 tom.mcniff@dailycommercial.com Cal Thomas

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A10 Thursday, March 15, 2018 | DailyCommercial.com

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DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 B1 SPORTS BASEBALL B3METS SEND TIM TEBOW BACK TO THE MINORS Paul Jenkins, Sports editor 352-365-8204 paul.jenkins@dailycommercial.comEagles invited to Geico High School Basketball NationalsBy Frank Jolleyfrank.jolley@dailycommercial.comItÂs almost a rite of passage for boys basketball players at Montverde Academy.An opportunity to play for a national championship.This year will be no different for the Eagles. Under coach Kevin Boyle, Mont-verde Academy has compiled a 32-0 record, including a heart-stopping win against Henderson (Nevada) Findlay Prep in January in the championship game at the Montverde Academy Invita-tional Tournament.And on Tuesday, the Eagles learned they had been invited to play in the prestigious Geico High School Basketball Nationals later this month in New York City.Montverde Academy, the No. 1 team in MaxPrepsÂ Xcel-lent 25 rankings, will head a field of eight boys teams and four girls teams in the three-day tournament, which begins March 29 at Christ the King High School in Middle Village, New York. The winner is considered by many prep basketball pundits to be the top team in the nation.The Eagles, who won three straight national championships from 2013-2015, have played in the tournament in every year of its existence with the exception of 2009 and 2011. HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOKMVA to play for national titleMontverde AcademyÂs Andrew Nembhard (2) breaks for the basket against Baton Rouge Madison Prep on Jan. 26 in Montverde. The Eagles have been invited to play in the prestigious Geico High School Basketball Nationals later this month in New York City. [PAUL RYAN /CORRESPONDENT] By Mark LongAssociated PressGAINESVILLE Â„ New Florida coach Dan Mullen crisscrossed the state the last two months, telling anyone and everyone his plan for returning the Gators to national prominence. It's been all talk so far.Now it's time to start imple-menting his plan.The Gators open spring prac-tice Friday with hopes of finally fixing an offense that has been dormant for nearly a decade. Mullen hasn't made any promises for Year 1 and has a depth chart filled with uncertainty. In fact, there are only a few things he can count on as they take the practice field for the first time in 2018."I know they're going to play hard because they're not going to have an option," Mullen said Tuesday. "I know that they're going to learn to go hard. I know that we're going to be physical. I feel comfortable with that with the team by seeing the lack of resistance in what we've asked them to do."There's sure to be a transition period and some growing pains, especially considering coach Jim McElwain didn't leave Mullen nearly as much talent as former Florida coaches Ron Zook and Will Muschamp left their replacements.Gators open spring practice with plenty of unknownsFlorida Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks (13) th rows a pass during a game against Florida State in Gainesville on Nov. 25, 2017. Franks is expected to challenge for the starting spot this season. [ALAN YOUNGBLOOD / GATEHOUSE MEDIA] A look at the best to come in the NCAA TournamentBy John MarshallAssociated PressMarch seemed to start early this season. Upsets seemingly every week, buzzer beaters, eye-popping performances.Now that March is actually here, the real madness about to begin.This yearÂs NCAA Tournament could be one of the wildest yet Â„ and thatÂs saying something after the past few years of bracket chaos. To get you ready, weÂve got a rundown of the top teams, play-ers, games and potential upsets.Strap in to your favorite chair and let the madness begin. Top teamsVirginia. The old cliche of defense wins championships could come true this year. The lockdown Cavaliers are that good on D.Villanova. Forget about some of the recent early NCAA exits. Jay Wright and the Wildcats have that national-title look again.A guide to the Big Dance In this Friday, March 9, 2018, Â“ le photo, Virginia guard DeÂAndre Hunter (12) pulls down a rebound next to Clemson guard Shelton Mitchell (4) during the Â“ rst half of a game in the semiÂ“ nals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in New York. Hunter, the ACCÂs sixth man of the year, will miss the NCAA tournament with a broken left wrist. [AP PHOTO / JULIE JACOBSON, FILE] ArizonaÂs Deandre Ayton reacts after a dunk against Southern California during the second half of a game for the Pac-12 menÂs tournament championship Saturday in Las Vegas. Arizona won 75-61. [AP PHOTO / ISAAC BREKKEN] By Joe ReedyAssociated PressTALLAHASSEE Â„ When Florida State junior Terance Mann calls home after games, the conversation with his mother is slightly different than for most college athletes.Sure, Daynia La-Force asks her son about his grades, whether he is eating right and the other normal parental inquiries. But Mann also gets a breakdown of his performance with his mother pointing out his strengths and weaknesses.That's because La-Force is the women's basketball coach at Rhode Island."She's good at balancing it," Mann said. "She knows when I need the coach and knows when I need the mom."Despite being over 1,200 miles apart and having her own demands leading a Divi-sion I program, La-Force rarely misses Mann's games and stays ready to give him an assessment. La-Force said she always starts off the con-versation asking her son how he's doing before diving into the coaching conversations."He listens to me and understands my perspective. I see the sets and what is supposed to happen," she said. "When it is your son not making those plays it is kind of tough."The talks have paid off for Mann. He has become one of the team leaders after three starters off last year's squad left for the NBA.The 6-foot-6 guard was honorable mention AllAtlantic Coast Conference after leading the Seminoles in scoring and rebounding. He also helped Florida State to consecutive NCAA Tour-nament bids for the first time in six years.The ninth-seeded Semi-noles (20-11) open tournament play on Friday against eighth-seeded Missouri (20-12) in the West region in Nashville. Mann has been one of Florida State's best defensive players throughout his career, but has shown the most improvement on offense this season. He is averaging 13.2 points per game, which is nearly five points better than last season, and has made 55.8 percent of his shots.FSUÂs Mann gets extra coaching from momSee TITLE, B3 See NCAA, B3 See FSU, B3 See GATORS, B3

DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 B3Eustis players meet at the mound during a game against Dunnellon in Eustis on Friday. Eustis slipped to No. 3 in the rankings after losing back-to-back home games last week. [PAUL RYAN / CORRESPONDENT] Rhode Island womenÂs basketball coach Daynia La-Force, right, poses for a photograph with her son, Florida StateÂs Terance Mann, at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament on March 7 in New York. [AP PHOTO / FRANK FRANKLIN II] The Associated PressPORT ST. LUCIE Â„ Tim Tebow was reassigned by the New York Mets to their minor league camp on Tuesday after he went 0 for 4 with four strike-outs in an exhibition against the Houston Astros.The former NFL quarterback and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner hit .056 (1 for 18) with 11 strikeouts in seven big league exhibition games. The 30-year-old, who is not on the MetsÂ 40-man roster, has been hampered by a left ankle sprain.ÂIÂll just continue to work in all the areas weÂve been work-ing and making progress. ThatÂs really the focus Â„ to continue the process and the journey and keep working,ÂŽ Tebow said to reporters following the game.TebowÂs only hit was a hard single to center off WashingtonÂs Erick Fedde on March 2. He has been used solely as a designated hitter or pinch hitter because of the injury.ÂThe ankle was kind of dis-appointing. I got to put in a lot of good work and feel like IÂm improving. ItÂs getting there,ÂŽ Tebow said.Earlier in spring training, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said he thinks Tebow will be in the major leagues one day. Tebow said that was not his focus right now.ÂItÂs definitely the goal, and weÂll be putting in work every day to one day get that oppor-tunity, but you canÂt just be focused on the end result. ItÂs got be on every day in the pro-cess,ÂŽ Tebow said. ÂItÂs having a long-term mindset with a here-and-now focus.ÂŽTebow, an outfielder, can appear in games for New York but would have to be brought over from the minor league side.He said being in a major league clubhouse for the first time was rewarding.ÂIt was a lot different being around the guys all the time, being able to learn a lot more, go through drills when I could and get some meaningful at-bats, too,ÂŽ Tebow said.New York also reassigned right-hander Kevin McGowan to the minor league camp on Tuesday and optioned righthanders Gerson Bautista, Marcos Molina, Jamie Calla-han and Corey Oswalt to minor league affiliates.Tebow (1 for 18) sent to minor league camp by MetsNew York MetsÂ Tim Tebow laughs with teammates in the dugout before a spring training game against the New York Yankees on March 7 in Port St. Lucie. [AP PHOTO / JOHN BAZEMORE] He has six games of 20 or more points, including a career-high 30 in a Jan. 24 win over Georgia Tech. But he struggled in consecutive losses to Virginia and Notre Dame last month, prompt-ing La-Force to tell him he needed to show more ver-satility in his shooting. She noticed Mann was relying too much on cutting right and driving to the basket. ÂHe still values being the glue guy and making the extra play,ÂŽ she said. ÂI want him to fall in love with being more aggressive. HeÂs always been a skilled player who can shoot from inside or outside.ÂŽMann said the change in being relied on more as a scorer has been a chal-lenge, especially later in the season when teams know every tendency.ÂI have to have a bigger role on both sides Â„ that has meant more scoring but also guarding and going after the best player,ÂŽ Mann said.Florida State assistant Charlton Young has known La-Force since 2000. He first met Mann eight years ago and later offered him a scholarship when he was the head coach at Georgia Southern. When Young became a part of Leonard HamiltonÂs staff in 2013, Mann became the first recruit in a 2015 class that included Malik Beasley and Dwayne Bacon.ÂI think he sat in a lot of car rides and in the living room listening to his mom complain about players and he said to himself I donÂt want to be that player,ÂŽ Young said. La-Force has been a col-lege coach since graduating from Georgetown in 1995. She started as an assistant at Long Island University and St. JohnÂs before becoming a head coach at New Haven, Northeastern and Rhode Island.Mann, and his younger brother Martin, have been there most of the way. While Martin would run around the gym during practices or games, La-Force noticed Terance was intently watching and pick-ing up on every call.ÂAt an early age I knew he was serious about the game because he wouldnÂt move,ÂŽ she said.As Mann got older, the teaching developed more on the court. When Mann was in high school and La-Force was the coach at Northeastern, there would be some practices where Mann would help out by being on the scout team.The postgame debriefs will not have to be over the phone this week. La-Force was in the stands during the ACC Tournament and will travel to the NCAA Tournament. MannÂs father, Eustace Mann, lives in Maryland and also will be in Nashville this week after attending some games this season. FSUFrom Page B1ÂEverything else I want to see,ÂŽ Mullen said. ÂI try not to judge too much. IÂll try even in spring. I donÂt want to get too excited. I donÂt want to get too worried because itÂs probably never as good or never as bad as it seems. ...ÂIÂm optimistic. IÂm excited to see the guys. I see not just the hunger from our fan base, but the hunger for the guys. These guys came to Florida to play for championships. ThatÂs why they came to school here and compete on one of the premier teams in America. I think theyÂre excited to do that.ÂŽThe Gators parted ways with McElwain last October, following a 42-7 loss to Georgia that came on the heels of McElwainÂs unfounded allegations of death threats to his family.McElwainÂs tenure had other issues, like a floundering strength and conditioning program and, more obviously, a lackluster offense that failed to make much, if any, progress in three seasons.Mullen believes he can turn the Gators around, much like he and Urban Meyer did in the mid-1990s.ÂTo me, it starts with your effort and how you carry yourself as a player,ÂŽ Mullen said. ÂIÂd love us in the next four years go 60-0 with four national titles. ... Sixty-and-0 is not the Gator standard. The Gator standard is: Did we push ourselves to be the absolute best we can be and take ourselves to become the absolute best we could be? If we do that then youÂre going to have the opportunity to go win the championships that we expect as part of this program.ÂŽ GATORSFrom Page B1Xavier. The Musketeers are dynamic and have one of the best players in the coun-try in Trevon Bluiett.Kansas. A record 14th straight Big 12 title, a tour-nament championship to go with it and Devonte Graham. DonÂt bet against Bill Self and the Jayhawks.North Carolina. The defending national cham-pions are poised for another deep run. TOP PLAYERSTrae Young, Oklahoma. The Sooners may have struggled down the stretch, but Young is the type of player capable of a Steph Curry-like run.Deandre Ayton, Arizona. The Bahamian big man has been called a unicorn and a cyborg. He may be the most physically dominating player in the field.Marvin Bagley III, Duke. So long, so athletic, so good.Trevon Bluiett, Xavier. A quiet star who does nothing but make big plays and win games.Jalen Brunson, Villanova. The Bluiett description fits the WildcatsÂ guard as well.Devonte Graham, Kansas. The JayhawksÂ dynamic leader is a big reason the school won the Big 12 again and could make another deep run. TOP GAMESArkansas vs. Butler, Friday in Detroit. Arkansas has one of the best resumes for beating ranked teams, taking down five this season. The Bulldogs always seem to find a way to go deep in the bracket and have won six straight NCAA Tournament openers.Wichita State vs. Marshall, Friday in San Diego. The Shockers are loaded with talent. Dan DÂAntoniÂs offense may be more freewheeling and frenetic than his brother MikeÂs.Missouri vs. Florida State, Friday in Nashville. The return of star freshman Michael Porter Jr. adds an extra dose of intrigue.Kentucky vs. Arizona, Saturday in Boise. Get by their opening games and we get the treat of Ayton against the Wild-cats freshmen, two national powerhouses going head to head early in the bracket. Yes, please. NCAAFrom Page B1Montverde AcademyÂs opening-round opponent at 6 p.m. March 29 will be Highland (Utah) Lone Peak, which the Eagles beat 77-52 in the 2017 MAIT.ESPNU will broadcast the game live. The tournament championship is set for noon March 31, and will be televised on ESPN.Montverde Academy is one of two teams from Florida in the field. Fort Lauderdale University, which won the Class 5A state championship and is ranked third in the Xcellent 25, will face Phoenix Shadow Mountain in its first-round game. All-star gameThe Corey Rolle Lake-Sumter All-Star basketball game will be played at 7 p.m. March 29 at Mount Dora High School.Many of Lake and Sumter countiesÂ top seniors will take part in the game, along with slam dunk and 3-point shoot-ing contests.Mount Dora boys coach Ariel Betancourt, who helps organize the annual event, said heÂs awaiting work from local coaches before he can finalize rosters for the game and the skill competitions. Players from every local public and private school Â„ with the exception of Montverde Academy Â„ often take part.Betancourt said preliminary competition for the 3-point shooting contest will begin at 6 p.m., with the finals and the slam-dunk contest taking place after the game. The game is named for Corey Rolle, a Eustis grad who led the Panthers to the Class 4A Final Four in 2008. Rolle died in 2010 at age 33, after suffering a stroke that doctors believed might have caused by complications from diabetes. Tickets are $3. Next levelA pair of local student athletes began shoring up their future college plans over the past week.Eustis junior Kayla Betts, a pitcher and infielder on the PanthersÂ softball team, verbally committed to attend St. Leo University. Betts won her first four starts for the Panthers in the circle this season. She has 27 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched.Betts also is hitting .286 with eight runs scored and five stolen bases.Verbal commitments are not binding, meaning players are free to change their minds about their college of choice. In addition, Wildwood junior Kanyon Walker received offers from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Walker, a former First Acad-emy of Leesburg standout who transferred to Wildwood in Jan-uary, was a four-year standout with the Eagles. In 2017, his final season at First Academy, Walker displayed a wide array of skills.Offensively, he rushed for 214 yards and caught 25 passes for 285 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Walker was in on 81 tackles (32 solo) and forced two fumbles while recovering one.Walker is expected to play at Wildwood in 2018. So ballFive softball programs from Lake and Sumter counties earned spots in this weekÂs Miracle Sports softball rankings.The five Â„ Eustis, East Ridge, The Villages, Montverde Acad-emy and Mount Dora Christian Academy Â„ were ranked in a variety of classifications from Class 8A (East Ridge) to Class 2A (MDCA).As has been the case all season, Eustis (8-2) is areaÂs top-ranked program. Despite losing back-to-back games at home last week for the first time in nearly five years, the Panthers dropped only one spot to No. 3 in the Class 5A poll. Eustis did drop out of the AllClassification rankings.Also in Class 5A, The Villages (8-1) received honorable mention.In Class 8A, East Ridge (10-1) continued its climb in the poll. The Knights moved up one spot from last week to No. 9.Montverde Academy (7-4) earned honorable mention in Class 4A.In Class 2A, MDCA (10-2) maintained its status with an unbeaten week and is ranked eighth. BaseballMontverde AcademyÂs boys basketball and soccer programs might need to make room for its baseball team on the national stage.The Eagles are off to a 10-0 start this season, led by Florida State commit Nander De Sedas, and are ranked 10th in MaxPreps Xcellent 25 WritersÂ poll.Montverde Academy com-petes as an FHSAA Independent in baseball, meaning it is not eligible to play for a state cham-pionship. Most recently, the Eagles won the Blue Division championship at the Perfect Game Showdown with a 6-2 win against Warner Robbins (Georgia) Houston County.The Eagles are one of three teams from Florida in the Top 10 Âƒ Plantation American Heri-tage is the top-ranked team and Clearwater Calvary Christian is No. 4. TITLEFrom Page B1

DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 B5 BUSINESS By Marley JayAP Markets WriterNEW YORK U.S. stocks sank again Wednesday as investors worried about tariffs and rising trade tensions. That hurt indust rial companies, while banks slumped along with interest rates.Stocks rose in the morning as investors looked for a rebound from the previous day's losses, but with European leaders warning about the risks of trade disputes, indexes gradu-ally headed lower. Boeing and other industrial companies, including airlines and defense companies, took some of the worst losses.Stocks have bounced around since President Donald Trump announced his tariff plans at the start of this month. They slumped at first, but came back after the administration said it would grant exemptions to some countries. They've slipped over the last two days as investors considered the possibility of greater trade tensions with Europe and China."Since the correction, inves-tors have been a little bit more sensitive to risk," said Karyn Cavanaugh, senior market strategist at Voya Investment Strategies. "Before the cor-rection, investors were almost bulletproof."Elsewhere, banks fell along with bond yields. Declining yields force interest rates on loans like mortgages lower, which hurts bank's profits. Household goods companies also fell while department stores and other retailers lost ground after the Commerce Department said retail sales declined in February.The S&P 500 index lost 15.83 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,749.48. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 248.91 points, or 1 percent, to 24,758.12. The Dow is com-prised of 30 large multinational companies, some of which will feel a pinch from higher metals costs or from retaliatory tariffs that may be placed on U.S.-made goods.The Nasdaq composite fell 14.20 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,496.81. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks declined 7.74 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,584.31.European Union head Donald Tusk urged Trump to pursue more cooperation with Europe instead of putting tar-iffs on European goods. The EU wants an exemption from the tariffs on aluminum and steel imports that Trump recently announced and has said it could retaliate with tariffs of its own.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she can't predict if those talks will succeed.Aerospace and defense giant Boeing slid $8.41, or 2.5 percent, to $330.26. Arconic, which uses a lot of aluminum in making products for aero-space companies, lost 89 cents, or 3.6 percent, to $24.06. Defense contractors including Raytheon also declined, as did airlines.Cavanaugh said a trade war is unlikely because the Trump administration is unlikely to take steps that seriously harm global trade. While investors have sold industrial stocks, she said it's possible some of them will benefit from changes to NAFTA or other trade agreements.Banks, industrials fall as trade tensions hit stocks MARKET WATCHDow 25,758.12 248.91 Nasdaq 7,496.81 14.20 S&P 2,749.48 15.83 Russell 1,584.31 7.74 NYSE 12,762.66 69.09 Specialist Robert Nelson, second left, works with traders on the oor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, March 14, 2018. U.S. stocks are edging lower Wednesday morning as Boeing and other industrial companies take losses. [AP PHOTO/RICHARD DREW] COMMODITIES REVIEWGold 1,324.40 1.50 Silver 16.467 .092 Platinum 961.50 5.80 Copper 3.1400 .0210 Oil 60.96 0.26MARKET MOVERS Signet Jewelers Ltd.: Down $9.69 to $38.22 The jewelry retailer gave weak annual forecasts and said it will cut spending. Kohls Corp.: Down $1.86 to $62.25 The Commerce Department said sales at department stores and other retailers fell in February.

2255GENERAL EMPLOYMENTPUBLISHER'S NOTICEFederal and State laws prohibit advertising expressing a discriminatory preference on the basis of race, age, sex, color, national origin, religion, handicap or marital status. The Daily Commercial will not knowingly accept advertisement for employment which is in violation of the law. Employment Advertising Standards of Acceptance Employment Classifications are intended to announce bona de employment offers only. Employment advertising must disclose the specic nature of the work being offered. Some employment categories may charge fees. If any advertiser does not comply with these standards, please notify a Classied Sales Representative at 365-8245 or 365-8200. B8 Thursday, March 15, 2018 | DailyCommercial.com This newspaper will never knowingly accept advertisement that is illegal or considered fraudulent. If you have questions or doubts about any ads on these pages, we advise that before responding or sending money ahead of time, you check with the local Attorney GeneralÂs Consumer Fraud Line and/or the Better Business Bureau. Also be advised that some phone numbers published in these ads may require an extra charge. In all cases of questionable value, such as promises or guaranteed income from work-athome programs, money to loan, etc., if it sounds too good to be true Â„ it may in fact be exactly that. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for any negative consequences that occur as a result of you doing business with these advertisers. Thank you. NOTICES 1000-1999READER NOTICE 1001 Looking for a Handyman?Check out theService Directory www.dailycommercial.com WITH US. EVERYTHING

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2990 6865PETSThe Florida Statute 828.29 states that no dog, puppy, cat or kitten may be offered for sale without a health certi cate, nor can any puppy or kitten be sold under the age of 8 weeks, nor can you advertise puppies or kittens with a deposit to hold. CROSSWORD PUZZLE DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 B9 Find yourFurry Friends pet supplies in CLASSIFIEDS Please recycle the newspaper! Thank you for reading The Daily Commercial!

DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 C1 SCENETom McNiff, editor 352-365-8250 tom.mcniff@dailycommercial.comBy Linda FloreaCorrespondentItÂs a theater lovers dream with three plays opening this weekend, ÂSweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetÂŽ at the Bay Street Players, ÂHow to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingÂŽ at the Melon Patch and ÂAlways, Patsy ClineÂŽ at the Ice House. The family-friendly ÂAnnieÂŽ at the Moonlight Players in Clermont continues as little orphan Anne rises above hard times. ÂSweeney ToddÂ The Bay Street Players in Eustis presents the dark musical ÂSweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetÂŽ Friday and playing until April 1. ÂIt really speaks to the human condition and the nature of evil, the nature of desire and consequences, both intended and unintended, when you act on certain impulses,ÂŽ said director Paul Castaneda. Set in 19th century England, the musical details the return of barber Sweeney Todd to London after 15 years of exile. He takes revenge on the corrupt judge who banished him by conspiring with a local baker, Mrs.Lovett, who is in desperate need of fresh meat for her pies. Details: baystreetplayers.org. ÂHow to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingÂ The Melon Patch Players in Leesburg presents ÂHow to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingÂŽ opening Friday and playing until April 1. The play follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a handbook to climb the corporate ladder from window washer to high-powered executive. ÂItÂs a 2 hour romp though the 60s,ÂŽ said vice president of production Derick Wallman. ÂÂŽItÂs a little microcosm on how things were back then.ÂŽ Details: melonpatchplayers.org. Cooriding director, ÂAlways, Patsy ClineÂ Based on a true story about PatsyÂs friendship with fan Louise Seger, whom she met at a Houston honkytonk in 1961. Seeger corresponded with Patsy until a plane crash in 1963 claimed the singerÂs life. Includes PatsyÂs hits ÂCrazy,ÂŽ ÂI Fall to Pieces,ÂŽ ÂSweet Dreams,ÂŽ ÂWalking After Midnight,ÂŽ and more. Friday until April 8 at the Sonnentag Theatre at the Ice House in Mount Dora. Tickets to all performances are sold out but there is a waiting list for possible seating. Details: icehousetheatre.com. ÂAnnieÂ Set in depression era New York, ÂAnnieÂŽ continues at the Moonlight Players in Clermont. Annie, possessing unbridled optimism and spunkiness in the face of adversity, and the ensemble of girls in the orphanage, are tormented by the cruel orphan headmistress Miss ON STAGEÂSweeney Todd,Â ÂHow to Succeed in BusinessÂ and ÂAlways, Patsy ClineÂ openSt. PattyÂs Day events highlight a busy couple of days in Lake and SumterBy Linda Florea CorrespondentSaturday is St. PatrickÂs Day, so if youÂre Irish Â… or just want to celebrate like you are Â… there are plenty of ways to channel your inner leprechaun this weekend. Beyond St. PattyÂs Day, Mount Dora rings in the spring with a festival, and Leesburg celebrates the awesome combination of barbecue, Blues music and cold beer on Saturday. HereÂs a quick look at whatÂs On Tap: Spring Fest The 21st annual Spring Fest comes to downtown Mount Dora 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More than 250 artists and crafters line the streets for a weekend of browsing and the opportunity to add a unique piece of art or craft to your collection. Parking options include the Orlando & Northwestern Railway train shuttle. Just park at the Mount Dora Plaza for $10 and get the train ride free, or park at the Golden Triangle Shopping Center and ride the bus for $5. Parking with shuttle service at Lincoln Park and the Mount Dora Golf Club. BBQ, Brews and Blues Bring the family for BBQ, Brews and Blues from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Towne Square in downtown Leesburg and sample fantastic barbecue. Blues artist David Julia is the featured entertainment as backyard barbecue teams compete for trophies and cash prizes for the best ribs, pork, brisket and chicken. Cost: $10 adults, $5 children under age 10. Domestic and craft beer will be available featuring Magic Hat. Lee Greenwood Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale welcomes country music icon Lee Greenwood, whose ÂGod Bless the USAÂŽ is the only song in any genre to hit the top 5 in the singles charts three times (1991, 2001 and 2003). Greenwood plays two does, the first at 2:30 and the second at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $41 to $49 and can be purchased at www.obopry.com. A Night for the Irish Celebrate St. PatrickÂs Day with traditional Irish music by Jane OÂConnor and a special performance by the City of Mount Dora Pipes & Drums at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mount Dora Community Building, 520 N. Baker St. Cost: $15 to $20. Details and tickets: mountdora.com Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra The Florida Lake Symphony Orchestra features love songs and a nod to St. Patrick at a concert with Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring piano soloist Sten Heinoja at 7:30 p.m. today in Eustis and Friday in Clermont. Cost: $15 to $42. Details: floridalakessymphonyorchestra.com. 3rd Annual St. PatrickÂs Day Celebration Bru Tap House in Tavares will offer live Day we will offer live music from Carry the Day and The Longest Hall as well as Dj Party Pete with Irish favorites on Saturday. Hours are from 4 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday at Bru on West Main Street in Tavares. St. PatrickÂs Day Bash OÂKeefeÂs Irish Pub on East Ruby Street in Tavares will have beer, food and of course, Irish music during LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT SCENEOn Tap this weekend Country music icon Lee Greenwood does two shows at the Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale Saturday. [SUBMITTED PHOTOS] Area pubs will offer green beer, Irish food and lots of Irish music throughout Lake and Sumter counties on Saturday. By Ed Symkus More Content NowThe camera absolutely adores Alicia Vikander. When she appears onscreen, the contours of her face stand out a bit, her skin glows slightly, viewers can almost feel her presence. Then thereÂs her acting skills, which allow her to disappear into each role, sometimes being unrecognizable from one film to the next. Though she had built up quite a career, mostly in TV series and short films in her native Sweden, it didnÂt take long for American audiences to catch on when she landed the part of broken-hearted Kitty in Joe WrightÂs 2012 adaptation of ÂAnna Karenina.ÂŽ But following her small triumph in that film, MOVIE REVIEWAlicia Vikander e ortlessly steps into Angelina JolieÂs shoes in ÂTomb RaiderÂLara Croft takes careful aim at the bad guys. [WARNER BROS. PICTURES]See TAP, C6 See REVIEW, C6 See STAGE, C6

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C2 Thursday, March 15, 2018 | DailyCommercial.comBy Julyssa LopezThe Washington PostColombian singer Karol G is a rare force in Latin urban music. While the 27-yearold is as sleek and glossy as a beauty queen, she wields an unapologetic toughness that comes out when sheÂs sparring against reggaetonÂs most ruthless male artists. But 10 years ago, Karol G was just Carolina Giraldo, a newcomer earnestly peddling reggaeton and R&B mix tapes from one radio station to the next in her native Medellin. The reactions she received were a depressing combination of confusion, disdain and lewd propositions that would have discouraged a more fainthearted artist. ÂThere were no opportunities,ÂŽ she said. ÂZero. The door was closed. They wouldnÂt even listen to my music because they would say the genre I was doing was for men.ÂŽ But tenacity is something Karol G has in endless supply. She didnÂt give up on urban music and now, after years of hearing no, the Spanish-speaking music industry is catching up to her. Last year, her debut album, ÂUnstoppable,ÂŽ made it to No. 2 on BillboardÂs Top Latin Albums chart, and ÂAhora Me Llama,ÂŽ her collaboration with trap wunderkind Bad Bunny, cracked SpotifyÂs Global 200. In January, she inched toward a worldwide smash when Major Lazer tapped her for a remix of ÂEn La Cara.ÂŽ Karol G is one of many women making ripples in the Latin industry, particularly in the urban space. Dominican artist Natti Natasha reached No. 6 on the Hot Latin charts with ÂCriminal,ÂŽ her duo with reggaeton star Ozuna; Mexican-American singer Becky G peaked at No. 3 with her Bad Bunny-assisted hit ÂMayoresÂŽ; and Brazilian superstar Anitta nabbed a No. 14 spot thanks to ÂDowntownÂŽ with J Balvin. A handful of well-performing singles may seem unremarkable, especially when so many have been collaborations with male artists. But itÂs very notable considering how rarely Latina artists have affected the charts in recent years. In 2015, a staggering 22 weeks passed without a single female artist appearing on the Hot Latin Songs charts, and a Billboard review showed that only two women reached the No. 1 spot between 2012 and 2016. During the same period, just seven women (compared with 33 men) reached the top of the Top Latin Albums chart. The women who did thrive tended to be legacy acts such as Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Paulina Rubio, who have been in the business for decades. And when it comes to Latin music awards, the numbers are just as bad. The feminist advocacy group Ruidosa recently analyzed the 2017 Latin Grammys, Latin Billboards and Premios 40 Principales and found that of 117 total winners, only 14 were women. The Latin music industry Â„ which usually refers to Spanish-language music made and sold in the United States and Latin America Â„ is a notoriously patriarchal machine, exacerbated by widespread machismo entrenched in many Latin cultures. And although some of the most important Latin music icons have been womenÂ„ Chavela Vargas, Celia Cruz and Mercedes Sosa, just to name a few Â„ the industry has been a particularly unfriendly arena for emerging female artists. Latin musicÂs gender gap became painfully conspicuous last year, when Luis Fonsi and Daddy YankeeÂs ÂDespacitoÂŽ overtook the global music landscape. Male artists such as J Balvin, Maluma and Bad Bunny were touted as the torchbearers who would throttle Latin music forward. Women were hardly considered in the conversation. But 2018 could mark a long-awaited change. The end of 2017 showed that despite its male-dominated roots, Latin urban music is rife with women eager to add their voices to trap, rap and reggaeton. A breakthrough year for women in Latin music would be well timed, as the calls for more female representation are amplified throughout the music industry. ÂIn America, thereÂs a Nicki Minaj, thereÂs a Katy Perry, thereÂs an Ariana Grande, thereÂs a Taylor Swift, and they each represent something different,ÂŽ Karol G said. ÂThat doesnÂt happen in the Latin industry. There are so many men and you can count the women on your fingers, and itÂs not because weÂre not here. ThereÂs tons of talent.ÂŽ Women in Latin music set for a breakthroughSingersongwriter Karol G. [SEBASTIAN QUINTERO] TOP SONGS 1. Psycho (feat. Ty Dolla $ign), Post Malone 2. GodÂs Plan, Drake 3. The Middle, Zedd,Maren Morris & Grey 4. Meant to Be (feat. Florida Georgia Line), Bebe Rexha 5. Perfect, Ed Sheeran 6. 44 More, Logic 7. Pray For Me, The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar 8. You Make It Easy, Jason Aldean 9. Thunder, Imagine Dragons 10. Whatever It Takes, Imagine Dragons TOP ALBUMS 1. The Greatest Showman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Various Artists 2. DAY69, 6ix9ine 3. Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By, Kendrick Lamar,The Weeknd & SZA 4. Nation of Two, Vance Joy 5. Evolve, Imagine Dragons 6. , Ed Sheeran 7. The Very Best of Prince, Prince 8. Victory Lap, Nipsey Hussle 9. ZOMBIES (Original TV Movie Soundtrack), Various Artists 10. Once on This Island (New Broadway Cast Recording), Various ArtistsiTUNES TOP 10 For the week ending March 1 FICTION 1. ÂThe Great AloneÂŽ by Kristin Hannah (St. MartinÂs Press) 2. ÂDog Man and Cat Kid (Dog Man 4)ÂŽ by Dav Pilkey (Graphix) 3. ÂWonderÂŽ by R.J. Palacio (Knopf Books for Young Readers) 4. ÂThe Woman in the WindowÂŽ by A.J. Finn (William Morrow) 5. ÂDark in DeathÂŽ by J.D. Robb (St. MartinÂs Press) NONFICTION 1. ÂFire and FuryÂŽ by Michael Wolff (Henry Holt & Company) 2. Â12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to ChaosÂŽ by Jordan B. Peterson (Random House Canada) 3. ÂEnlightenment NowÂŽ by Steven Pinker (Viking) 4. ÂThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckÂŽ by Mark Manson (HarperOne) 5. ÂThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildÂŽ (Piggyback) FICTION E-BOOKS 1. ÂThe Great AloneÂŽ by Kristin Hannah (St. MartinÂs Press) 2. ÂLook for MeÂŽ by Lisa Gardner (Dutton) 3. ÂAn American MarriageÂŽ by Tayari Jones (Algonquin Books) 4. ÂThe Woman in the WindowÂŽ by A.J. Finn (HarperCollins) 5. ÂCode to ZeroÂŽ by Ken Follett (Penguin) NONFICTION E-BOOKS 1. ÂEnlightenment NowÂŽ by Steven Pinker (Viking) 2. Â12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to ChaosÂŽ by Jordan B. Peterson (Random House Canada) 3. ÂA Higher CallÂŽ by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander (Penguin) 4. ÂThe Black CountÂŽ by Tom Reiss (Crown/Archetype) 5. ÂThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckÂŽ by Mark Manson (HarperOne) BEST-SELLING BOOKS The Wall Street JournalÂs list reÂ” ects nationwide sales of hardcover books for the week ending Feb. 18By Mark KennedyThe Associated PressMoby is done screaming. HeÂs back to brooding Â„ magnificently. The musician-producerÂs 12-track ÂEverything Was Beautiful, And Nothing HurtÂŽ returns us to the orchestral trip-hop heÂs famous for following two politically-charged albums of virtual punk. The album signals heÂs postanger, as if heÂs entered a stage of profound grief. Many songs offer a fragile and melancholy Moby whispering about human fragility over velvet swells of ambient, orchestral sounds punctuated by drum loops. The titles alone seem to suggest weÂre in for a bleak affair Â„ ÂThe Sorrow Tree,ÂŽ ÂÂA Dark Cloud Is Coming,ÂŽ ÂÂThe Last of GoodbyesÂŽ and ÂThe Tired and The HurtÂŽ Â„ but the music is gorgeously gloomy without being depressing. ThatÂs hard to do on an album that mentions darkness 15 times. For the past few years, Moby raged against Donald Trump in ÂMore Fast Songs About the ApocalypseÂŽ and ÂThese Systems are Failing.ÂŽ Now heÂs turned his attention at our souls, referencing W.B. YeatsÂ poem ÂThe Second ComingÂŽ and borrowing the new albumÂs name from Kurt VonnegutÂs ÂSlaughterhouse-Five.ÂŽ HeÂs added female voices for every song, including five with Mindy Jones, two with Julie Mintz and three with Apollo Jane. They soar while Moby stays grounded and morose. ÂI canÂt see, I canÂt speak, I canÂt walk, I canÂt talk/ But I can see how itÂs falling apart,ÂŽ he half sings in one song. One thing is clear: In TrumpÂs America, Moby may be beaten but heÂs not broken. Moby returns to his trip-hop best ÂEverything Was Beautiful, And Nothing HurtÂMoby (Mute) MUSIC & BOOKSMUSIC REVIEW BOOK REVIEW By Oline H. CogdillThe Associated PressCrimes arenÂt committed in a vacuum but have the potential to cause ripples throughout a community. And that community can quickly turn on one of its own, needing someone, or something, to blame. Those connections are the bedrock of Alison GaylinÂs superb standalone, ÂIf I Die Tonight.ÂŽ Gaylin delves deep to explore her characters, who want more than what their lives have brought. It also succinctly touches on parental issues, teenage angst, loneliness, the seductiveness of fame and the pitfalls of when that acclaim is a thing of the past. Each plot point weaves perfectly for a poignant story strengthened by its attention to characters. Single mother Jackie Reed is barely able to juggle all the aspects of her life, including her job as a realtor in the tightknit town of Havenkill, New York; her sons Wade, 17, and Connor, 13; and her own depression. Connor is smart, popular and always trying to make things easier for his mother. Wade, however, has been distant, holing up in his room, disappearing for hours and nearly ostracized from his classmates. Wade becomes the likely suspect when high school football star Liam Miller is left in a coma while trying to prevent a carjacking. Former pop star Amy Nathanson, who had one megahit as singer Aimee En during the 1980s, claims Liam was trying to protect her and keep her vintage Jaguar from being stolen. As the community reels from the crime, Havenkill police officer Pearl Maze sharpens her investigative skills, while dealing with her own dark side.ÂIf I Die TonightÂ tells poignant storyÂIf I Die TonightÂAlison Gaylin (Morrow)

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DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 C3Thursday, March 15 CHESS CLUB: From 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. every Thursday at Leesburg Public Library, 100 E. Main St. Call 352-728-9790 for information. MEDITATION: At 4 p.m. every Thursday at Leesburg Public Library, 100 E. Main St. Guided meditation followed by discussion. Chairs provided or bring yoga mat. Beginners welcome. Call 352-728-9790 to register. QUILTING SISTERS GUILD: From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Thursday at Masonic Lodge, 200 Richey Road. in Leesburg. Call Mary at 352-323-3351 or go to quiltingsistersguild.com for information. STORY TIME OUR WORLD: From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Thursday at Leesburg Public Library, 100 E. Main St. For ages 5 and under. With music, movement and Â“ ngerplays. Call 352-7289790 for information. PRE-K STORY TIME: From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Thursday at W.T. Bland Public Library, 1995 N. Donnelly St. in Mt Dora. Call 352-735-7180 for information. LAKE COUNTY FARMERS AND FLEA MARKET: From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Thursday (except holidays) at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 2101 County Road 452 in Eustis. For information, call Cole Scharlau at 352-357-9692. CRAFTY KIDS: From 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. every Thursday at the Leesburg Public Library, 100 E. Main St. Free. Children of all ages are invited to make a craft at the library to take home. Call Penny Richardson at 352-728-9790 or email penny. richardson@leesburgÂ” orida. gov. CRAFTERNOONS: From 2 to 5 p.m. every Thursday at Cooper Memorial Library, 2525 Oakley Seaver Drive in Clermont. Bring your current craft project. Call 352-536-2275 for information. KIDS ACTIVITY NIGHT: From 6 to 7 p.m. every Thursday at Astor County Library, 54905 Alco Road. Call 352-759-9913 for information. DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: From 5 to 7 p.m. every Thursday at Marion Baysinger Memorial Library, 756 W. Broad St. in Groveland. For ages 13 to 18. Call 352-429-5840 for information. TNT GAMING: From 4 to 5 p.m. every Thursday at Leesburg Public Library, 100 E. Main St. For ages 8 to 18. Call 352-7289790 for information. LEGO CLUB: From 3 to 4 p.m. every Thursday at Fruitland Park Library, 205 W. Berckman St. For ages 5 to 18. Call 352360-6561 for information. TASTEFULLY SIMPLE: At 1 p.m. at Marianne Beck Memorial Library, 112 W. Central Ave. in Howey-in-the-Hills. Meal ideas made with four ingredients or less. Call 352-324-0254 for information. IRISH MUSIC PROGRAM: From 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Cooper Memorial Library, 2525 Oakley Seaver Drive in Clermont. With acoustic accordion player Connie Marie. Free. Call 352-536-2275 for information. THIRD THURSDAY BIKE NITE: At 6:30 p.m. at The Great Chicago Fire Brewery and Tap House, 311 W. Magnolia St. in Leesburg. With live music and happy hour specials until 9:30 p.m. FOOD TRUCKS: From 5 to 8:30 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at Sunset Park in Mount Dora. Featuring 10 to 12 food trucks. Call 352-383-2165 or email chamber@mountdora. com. SUPER JAM: At 7 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 S.E. 138th Terrace in Weirsdale. With OBO band and other select performers. Go to obopry.com for tickets and information. MOVIE KNIGHT COMMUNITY FILM FESTIVAL: At 6 p.m. at Epic Theatres of Clermont, 2405 S. Highway 27. Cost is $15 and includes soda and popcorn. Ticket sales are online only from Feb. 26 until sold out. Email honeyd@lake.k12.Â” .us for details. FLORIDA LAKES SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: At 7:30 p.m. at Epiphany Celebration Anglican Church, 1724 South Bay St. in Eustis. Love Stories. Go to FloridaLakesSymphonyOrchestra.com for tickets and information. Friday, March 16 DAVID CHURCH AND TERRI LISA: At 7:30 p.m. at Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 S.E. 138th Terrace in Weirsdale. Star Series. Go to obopry.com for tickets and information. LITE BITES AND MEAT SHOOTS: At 5 p.m. every third Friday at John Gella Memorial Post 219, 194 W. Fountain St. in Fruitland Park. Light supper, bake sale and fun game of meat shoots. Call 352-787-2338 for information. THIRD FRIDAY SOCIAL AND DINNER: At 5:30 p.m. every third Friday at Triangle Boat Club, 12001 U.S. Highway 441 in Tavares. $10. Members and guests must register. Call 352-533-8398. MEET THE ARTIST: From 6 to 8 p.m. the third Friday of the month at Marianne Beck Memorial Library, 112 W. Central Ave. in Howey-in-the-Hills. With music and refreshments. Call 352-324-0254 for information. FRIDAY NIGHT NATURALIST: From 6 to 7:45 p.m. the third Friday of the month at Trout Lake Nature Center, 520 E. County Road 44 in Eustis. Each month different experts about the natural world and phenomena give presentations. Learn about nature, wildlife and nature photography. Call CALENDARWe want to hear from you: Send news releases about arts and entertainment events around Lake and Sumter counties to news@dailycommercial. com Include a description, date, time, cost, address, contact name and phone number.EDITORÂS PICK80Âs pop star Tiffany visits the Clermont Performing Arts Center, 3700 S. Highway 27, for one show at 8 p.m. Friday. Go to clermontperformingarts.com for tickets and information. See CALENDAR, C6

DEAR ABBY: I was working out of town in a position that paid a good salary. When my adult son proposed to his girlfriend, I told him I would try and give him $10,000 for the wedding. Well, things changed. I had to return home for good, and my salary was cut. When I told my son I wouldn't be able to give him $10,000, but could give him only $5,000 instead, he became very upset and said, "You promised that amount and we were counting on that money!" I feel a gift is a gift, and they should be happy with whatever I can manage. After talking it over with several friends, they all agreed that he is behaving inappropriately. I am single and trying to retire in 10 years. Please help. -SALARY CUT IN PENNSYLVANIA DEAR SALARY CUT: Your son's reaction was immature. He should understand that sometimes circumstances can change. If you haven't already explained why you need to cut back on the sum you planned to give him, do it now. How he reacts to your explanation will tell you whether you want to give him even $5,000. DEAR ABBY: I recently took a job working for someone I knew. He was a neighbor and attended my church for several years, but we were never more than acquaintances. After I began working there, I saw things going on with other girls in the ofce that were very inappropriate. Then I stumbled across a sexual online chat he was having with one of them. As I scrolled through the feed, it became apparent they're having an affair. It made me so uncomfortable I quit working there. We still live in the same community. He has a beautiful, kind and very pregnant wife. Should I tell her? Should I tell anyone, or stay quiet and let him get away with it? It makes me sick, and I don't know what to do at this point. -UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE WEST DEAR UNCOMFORTABLE: Allow me to suggest that what you do is remain silent, at least for now. The kind and very pregnant wife does not need to be told that her husband is cheating with an employee at this juncture. After the baby is born, perhaps she should be told -if she doesn't know already -but NOT NOW.DEAR ABBY: Please help! How do I politely tell my partner -without hurting his feelings -that I don't like his cooking and I should be the one doing the cooking because I'm more "seasoned" in the kitchen than he is? I am usually the "chef" and he is the "second-in-command," which in the past has worked. -SEASONED IN CALIFORNIA DEAR SEASONED: Here's how: Skip the part about not liking his cooking, which could be hurtful. Ease into it by telling him you consider cooking together to be a bonding experience. Then say how much you enjoy taking the lead when the two of you do it, how meaningful it is when he helps you, and how much you'd appreciate it if he would continue to let you be the chef. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. How to play: Fill in the blank squares with the numbers 1 through 9 so that each horizontal row, vertical column and nine-square sub-grid contains no repeated numbers. Puzzles range in diculty from one to six stars. The solution to todays puzzle will be in tomorrows paper. YESTERDAYS SOLUTION BRIDGE CRYPTOQUOTE HOROSCOPES TODAY IN HISTORY DIVERSIONS HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018:This year you can expect a strong theme of positivity to emerge. What is happening might be quite benecial to your life. If you are single, you meet people easily and naturally. Others sense your magnetism and charisma. If you are attached, the two of you are likely to decide to fulll an important life goal. Make sure to schedule some fun, caring times with your sweetie. A fellow PISCES enjoys living vicariously through you, as your life takes an intriguing turn.ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) Keep your own counsel, even if you have a lot on your mind. Youll gain more knowledge when you pull back and consider what has been going on. Pressure builds around the workplace. Know that you need to honor your commitments. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) You might not realize how much you value key supporters until they are right in front of you. Be direct in how you express your thoughts and feelings. If you follow through on your emotional messages, you will be guided toward success. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) Take a stand, if need be. Others might have a strong reactions, especially a partner. You will need to deal with different ideas and perspectives. Relate with the intention of understanding, rather than proving that youre right. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) Approach someone at a distance, and air out an issue before its too late. You could feel a heaviness around what is happening, and will want to pull back. Decide how important the people involved are to you. Act accordingly. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) You relate to others on a strong one-on-one basis. You might want to nd an expert to help you sort out an issue that seems to reappear in a personal relationship. You could feel tired of having to follow the same routine every day. Try to diversify. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) You have a lot going on right now. Just when you complete one matter, another seems to appear. Understand that emotions are deeply tied to a problem. A little self-discipline with a love relationship will be helpful. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) You are more emotionally involved in a matter than you originally had anticipated. Consider why you might have misjudged this situation. Stay focused on your domestic life and on where you are heading. You could be dealing with some uproar. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) Your words come from a place of seriousness and a need to be heard. You will be able to tune into your feelings to understand why you have been triggered. Tap into your creativity and get in touch with your feelings, and the results will be better. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) An innate sense of being driven emerges. A matter or an expense surrounding your home could cause an animated talk. Your instincts tell you that there is a situation that might not be up to snuff. Assess the issue before it causes any more damage. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22JAN. 19) You might feel unusually energized. Consider the pros and cons of being so open. You have a lot to deal with right now. Reach out to a loved one who could be overly serious. Together, you will do a great job of eliminating some tension. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) Your sense of direction comes through as you deal with a nancial matter. You might not be serious about a long-term commitment, especially if it involves your checkbook. Do not hesitate to say no. Put the kibosh on a problem. Tonight: Be more frugal with your funds.PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) You are in the midst of a signicant change or reversal. At some point, you might wonder whether you can make a necessary adjustment. A friend could shock you with what he or she shares. Be aware of your judgments and your response. Son throws a tantrum after wedding gift is cut in half DailyCommercial.com | Thursday, March 15, 2018 C5 TODAY IS THURSDAY, MARCH 15, the 74th day of 2018. There are 291 days left in the year. TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY: On March 15, 1493, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus arrived back in the Spanish harbor of Palos de la Frontera, two months after concluding his rst voyage to the Western Hemisphere. ON THIS DATE: In 44 B.C., Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of nobles that included Brutus and Cassius. In 1917 Czar Nicholas II abdicated in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, who declined the crown, marking the end of imperial rule in Russia. In 1937 America's rst hospital blood bank was opened at Cook County Hospital in Illinois. In 1956 the Lerner and Loewe musical play "My Fair Lady," based on Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," opened on Broadway. In 1964 actress Elizabeth Taylor married actor Richard Burton in Montreal; it was her fth marriage, his second. (They divorced in 1974, remarried in 1975, then divorced again in 1976.) In 1977 the situation comedy "Three's Company," starring John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, premiered on ABC-TV.

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C6 Thursday, March 15, 2018 | DailyCommercial.comHannigan. By chance, Annie is chosen to spend two weeks at the home of Daddy Warbucks during Christmas. As she works her heartmelting magic on him, he offers a reward to find her parents. The bad guys roll in to claim the reward, and well, you have to see the rest. The play runs until March 25. Cost is $18 for adults and $15 for students and children. Details: moonlightplayers.com. UpcomingÂHOT FLASHES THE MUSICALÂÂHot Flashes The MusicalÂŽ is a Bay Street Players Studio Series at the State Theatre in Eustis March 24 and 25. ItÂs a funny and deeply moving examination of the issues faced by maturing women and is perfect for those women in, or approaching, the second phase of life and the ones who love them. Original songs include ÂI Want a Trophy Husband,ÂŽ and reworked classic rock hits such as ÂI am Woman, Hear me Snore.ÂŽ Cost: $21. Details: baystreetplayers.org. AuditionsÂMISS FIRECRACKER CONTESTÂAuditions for the Bay Street Players production of the ÂMiss Firecracker ContestÂŽ are 7 to 10 p.m.. March 18 and 19 at the Historic State Theatre, 109 N. Bay St., Eustis. To request an audition slot, email a performing resume and photo to nvatter@yahoo. com. An audition time and additional information will be provided. Resumes and photos do not have to be created professionally. The play runs May 4 to 20. Details: baystreetplayers.org.Â1776ÂThe Moonlight Players in Clermont are holding auditions for Â1776ÂŽ March 18 and 19.ÂTHE GLASS MENAGERIEÂAuditions for ÂThe Glass MenagerieÂŽ by the IceHouse Players in Mount Dora are 7 to 9:30 p.m. March 19. Roles for two women and two men ages 20 to 60 are available. To receive an audition slot, email your performance resume and photo to darlin@icehousetheatre. com. Rehearsals begin in March on Weekday evenings, 7 to 9:30 p.m. with occasional weekend rehearsals scheduled as needed. Show dates are May 18 to June 10.ÂWAIT UNTIL DARKÂAuditions for ÂWait Until Dark by the Tavares Theater Company are 7 p.m. March 18 and 19 in the groups new building at 107 N. Lake Ave., Tavares. Details: tavarestheater.org. STAGEFrom Page C1its St. PatrickÂs Day bash Saturday. Neil Patton is on stage from noon to 8 p.m. on the inside stage, Anthony Leon and Paige Barton take the outside stage from 3 to 7 p.m., and Wes Morrison & The Stray Hares are on stage from 8 p.m. to midnight. St. PattyÂs Day at TillieÂs TillieÂs in downtown Eustis is offering drink specials, corned beef and cabbage meals, T-shirts and giveaways all day. Visit TillieÂs on Facebook. Mount Dora Leprechaun Treasure Hunt The City of Mount Dora Parks and Recreation Department hosts a Leprechaun Treasure Hunt from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Gilbert Park, 210 South Tremain St. The event, which is for kids 12 and under, will feature prizes, snacks and drinks and a search for Âmountains of gold.ÂŽ For more information, call 352-735-7183. Shine Fest The Yalaha Bootlegging Company, makers of local moonshine, host their First Annual Yalaha Shine Fest Saturday and Sunday at 8222 County Road 48 in Yalaha. The event features live music, food and moonshine tastings. Shine Fest kicks off at 10 a.m. both days. TAPFrom Page C1her career took an up and down course; she sometimes chose the right parts Â„ she nabbed a Supporting Actress Oscar for ÂThe Danish GirlÂŽ Â„ but sometimes got stuck in box office bombs Â„ she likely doesnÂt talk much about ÂThe Fifth EstateÂŽ or ÂThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.ÂŽ Yet it was her starring role as Ava, a humanoid piece of Artificial Intelligence in ÂEx MachinaÂŽ that got her the most notice. Though Vikander had a strong presence as a CIA agent in ÂJason Bourne,ÂŽ itÂs her newest film, ÂTomb Raider,ÂŽ a reboot of the ÂLara CroftÂŽ series, thatÂs going to give her a huge boost to the top of the female action star genre. SheÂs stepping into the shoes of Angelina Jolie, who played the character in two previous films, but Vikander, 29, completely reinvents, and now owns, the part in this origin story. She spoke about it recently in Los Angeles.Q: This Â“ lm is very different from the Angelina Jolie entries, in that itÂs as much about Lara CroftÂs personality as it is about action and special effects. Was playing Lara before she becomes the Lara the fans know what drew you to it? A: Our inspiration was that itÂs a coming of age story. This Â“ lm is based more on the 2013 video game, and there she is, a normal girl in the beginning. If you have the origin story, then thatÂs a way for us to kind of get to know the characters, to feel for them, to relate to them. I thought it was wonderful that I could play a young woman whoÂs still trying to Â“ nd her footing in the world. ItÂs a story where all the traits and skills within her are forced to be pulled out due to the adventure she goes on. I wanted to have her every single step to become, in the end, the action Â“ gure that we know her to be. SheÂs a bold, curious, badass being, and I had a lot of fun Â“ nding her core and personality. Q: Were you already familiar with the previous movies and the games they were based on? A: I was probably around 9 or 10 when I went to a friendÂs house and saw (the Â“ rst) game. I hadnÂt seen a female protagonist in a computer game, and I was so curious. I remember asking the older boys if I was allowed to play, and they wouldnÂt let me. I had to wait until it was just me and I could sneak into that room and I played it then. I also played the anniversary version of the Â“ rst game in my mid-teens. I was a gamer. Q: You had a lot of physical demands put on you to play this character. Was any of that really daunting? A: IÂd never taken on a character and role in a Â“ lm like this. I come from another world; I was a dancer before. And for me to try and pretend that I can do an MMA Â“ ght, that was really daunting to do in front of people. Q: But it wasnÂt just the brief bit of MMA Â“ ghting. You were constantly running and jumping and shooting arrows and then running and jumping more. What kind of training did you go through? A: I started training about four months before we started shooting. When I Â“ rst met with (director) Roar Uthaug and the producers, we knew we wanted the action sequences, which are such a big part of this Â“ lm, to kind of be set in reality. You know, would you buy that this young girl can beat this bigger, stronger man? Then storywise we integrated that sheÂs a physical being, that she trains MMA and sheÂs a bicycle courier. So I wanted her to be a strong girl for it to be plausible what she does later on in the Â“ lm. Q: YouÂre well known for being in Â“ lms on the art house circuit. Was this a big challenge for you? A: IÂve done a lot more art house Â“ lms, but IÂve loved this kind of Â“ lm since I was a kid. And when youÂre doing something like this, and the Â“ lms I look up to in this genre, thatÂs when youÂre able to make these big spectacles with heart, and make an artful, interesting story thatÂs also commercial and big and loud, as it should be. That was the biggest challenge, and I realized that early on. But that also gave me a lot of energy and force throughout the shoot.ÂTomb RaiderÂŽ opens on March 16. Ed Symkus writes about movies for More Content Now. He can be reached at esymkus@rcn.com. REVIEWFrom Page C1 Eileen Tramontana at 352-357-7536 or email tlnc. director@gmail.com. MASQUERADE BALL: At 7 p.m. at Anastassia Ballroom and Dance, 32624 Blossom Lane in Leesburg. With appetizers and prizes. Cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple. Call 352-533-7400 for information. FLORIDA LAKES SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: At 7:30 p.m. at Sheperd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 13600 Caspian Lane in Clermont. Love Stories. Go to FloridaLakesSymphonyOrchestra.com for tickets and information. AN EVENING WITH TIFFANY: At 8 p.m. at Clermont Performing Arts Center, 3700 S. Highway 27. The legendary pop star performs. Go to clermontperformingarts.com for tickets and information. Friday, March 16 to Sunday, March 18 SWEENEY TODD: At 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at Historic State Theater, 109 N. Bay St. in Eustis. Cost is $21 for adults and $11 for students with ID. Go to baystreetplayers.org for tickets. ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE: At 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at IceHouse Theatre, 1100 N. Unser St. in Mount Dora. Cost is $22 for adults, $15 for students with ID and $10 for ages 5 to 17. Go to icehousetheatre.com for tickets. HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING: At 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday at Melon Patch Theatre, 311 E. 13th St. in Leesburg. Cost is $18 for adults and $9 for students. Go to melonpatchplayers.org for tickets. ANNIE: At 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at Moonlight Players Theatre, 735 W. Minneola Ave in Clermont. Cost is $18 for adults and $15 for students and children. Go to moonlightplayers. com for tickets and information. Saturday, March 17 EASTER EGG HUNT: At 12 p.m. at Belk Store, 270 Citrus Tower Blvd. in Clermont. Ages 12 and under can look for eggs hidden throughout the store. For information call 352-243-2227 ext 210 and ask for a manager. LEPRECHAUN TREASURE HUNT: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gilbert Park, 210 S. Tremain St. in Mount Dora. Kids 12 and under can search mountains of gold for prizes. With snacks, drinks and games. Free. Call 352-735-7183 for information. RANGER HISTORY PROGRAM: From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Saturday unless another event is scheduled at Dade BattleÂ“ eld Historic State Park, 7200 County Road 603 in Bushnell. With historic weapons Â“ ring demonstration. Call 352-793-4781. DINNER AND ENTERTAINMENT: At 5 p.m. every Saturday at Amvets Post 1992, 32201 Amvets Way in Mount Dora. Nonmembers must be signed in by a member of the post. Go to amvetspost1992.org. CROCHET CLASS: From noon to 2 p.m. every Saturday at the W.T. Bland Public Library, 1995 N. Donnelly St. in Mount Dora. Bring a size J crochet hook, yarn and scissors. Class projects include a newborn infantÂs cap, a star-shaped pot holder and a ladyÂs hat with ornamentation. Free. Call 352-735-7180, option 5. CALENDARFrom Page C3